“THE PIONEER”

BY SEN JOSEPH MANTHANAM

(1) Introduction Part

(2) Chapters -> 10 Chapters
(3) Conclusion Part (Epilogue)
(4) Bibliography Part (Epilogue)

Introduction

Man is a social animal, nay a being created by God with a status of just a
step lower to him. As per the Bible, man is the best creation of God, the
most intelligent of all the other creations, with vision and courage to
discover, invent and innovate. Man was followed by woman, a befitting life
partner not merely for sexual pleasure but also for a meaningful
companionship. Hence this is a spiritual thought.

Historically man evolved through ages of struggle, from the jungle life to the
modern civilization. Science has supported this finding and the long march
through the dust and smoke of ages set the ground for settled social life of
the animal called social animal. Art is a by-product of this complicated
process. It is the fore-runner of culture and civilization. Art can be defined as
the depiction of, man, nature and other animal kingdom in relation to man. It
is the sense of beauty historically evolved that gave rise to art. It is music
that considered to be the fundamental art, evolved from the natural forces
and their multifarious sound forms, inclusive of thunderbolts,rainfall,sea
tides,etc.These created a reaction in man as he is possessor of a distinctive
physique with the cerebral cortex in his brain. The recording power of the
said part of man’s brain is in fact the predecessor of all sorts of man-made
photographic and cinematographic equipments.

Art evolved into many branches of expression. It is today music, dramatics,

painting, dance, sculpture and so on. In grand old times of our country the
temples were the performing centers of various art forms called ‘Koothu’
‘Attam’etc.Culture is the replica of prevailing philosophies of man’s life. Art
supplement and compliment culture. The agrarian life of man round the
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globe nurtured artistic growth. In India, the caste system was also designed
to be congenial to the same. The feudal system sponsored the show and at
the same time there was a tendency among the low castes to create their own
art forms, as part of their profession. This was the popular art and the other
the state-run art. The devadasi practice was run by the temples supported by
the feudal elements and the fork lore evolved as part of the agrarian life of
the lower castes, the untouchables and the Adivasi Communities.

This dual enrichment subjective of the social life of man is in fact the crux of
art as an exposition of man in relation with man and nature. In fact this is a
universal phenomena. Artists are torch bearers of culture in any society
round the globe. Our nation is a big conglomeration of cultures and hosts
one of the oldest civilizations of man.

The history of civilized man ever since the dark age of 8 centuries is
characterized with tremendous artistic development. The Reformation and
Renaissance paved the path of unlimited impetus of all sorts of arts. The
industrial revolution that accompanied the Renaissance right from 16th
century A.D, in fact created the necessary mechanical equipment for the
creative imagination of artists to take visible formation. The inventions and
innovations all around the world in 16th, 17th, 18th, 19th, 20th and the
present centuries threw up a vista of immense possibilities.

Art aided by technology created wonders. The invention of paper, printing

press,electricity,telegraph,telephone,television,radio,wireless-equipment,
fabrics in synthetic material and above all celluloid and movie camera which
is an extension of photography set the foundation of the wonder called,
‘Cinema’ in the last decade of 19th century.

Cinema is called the most powerful and mass art cum medium of 20th
century. It is still the same in this second decade of 21st century and who
knows whether cinema would give way to ‘Dilema’in the first half of 21st
century itself. It is the result of creative imagination of man coupled with the
release of productive forces in modern industry during the second half of
19th century.

• ‘Lumierre brothers’ indeed succeeded to overrun Britisher, John

Griffson and put forth their findings to achieve patent rights. Though
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• it was Giffson who made the initiative yet Lumierre Brothers of
France luckily for them finalized and offered the end-product and
process. Thus Cinema was born in the last part of 1870s and the first
known silent movie, a short film (first projected primary proto-movie)
was made by ‘Eadweard Muybridge’between 1877 and 1880.The first
narrative film was created by ‘Louis Le Prince’ in 1888 . It was a two-
second film of people walking in ‘Oakwood streets’ garden entitled
‘Roundhay Garden Scene’. The silent era (1894-1929 and the talkie
era starting with ‘Jazz singer’ released in 1927 brought forth sound for
movies. Today we are at the imminent verge of replacing ‘CINEMA’
with a newer version called ‘DILEMA’ with digital technology
replacing celluloid.

*Cinema has a powerful impact on social life of man simply because of the
artistic content of the same designed and presented with technical precision.
Good or bad messages are spread in society owing to this medium, art as
well as industry. We cannot attribute the fatherhood of this wonder of 19th
century to anyone individual. The pioneers
are all Father-Figures Lumierre Brothers, Griffson, Edison, D.W.Griffith,
Charlie Chaplin are all pioneers.

India has made an impact in global cinema through various illustrious

creations and worthy masters like Satyajith Ray, Adoor Gopalakrishnan,
John Abraham.Malayalam cinema was born in the late 1920s and it was a
J.C .Daniel who initiated the same, who became pioneer.

This work of mine is about the Pioneer or Pioneers. In the chapters let me
treat the subject with a sense of intellectual honesty, social responsibility,
historical precision and above all with humanism by the grace of God. It is
love that is eternal and everything embedded in love is to remain in public
mind to guide generations to come.

Proper study and evaluation of historic event is accomplished in a much

better way with modern methods and procedures aided by technology,
especially after 3-4 decades of the same. The dust smoke and heat of the
event dies off and the evaluation is possible in a context free of earlier
inbibitions and prejudice. A generation born and bred almost 30-50 years
after the event can make better and unbiased judgement scientifically. It is
this evaluation that adds flesh and blood to the Skeleton of History. History
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is the guide to future, being the record of the past. Future is the growth from
past and present is only a passing phase to add to past.

There is need to correct ourselves and go forward with a sound knowledge

of the past.

Foot Notes

• Lumieres turned to colour photography and in 1903 patented a colour

photography process called ‘Autochrome Lumiere’and launched it in market in
1907

• The first footage ever to be recorded using it was recorded (by cinematograph) on
19th March 1895, following the patency in Feb 1895.This film shows workers
leaving the factory of the Lumieres.They screened their films for the first time on
28th December 1895, at which entry fee was charged in Paris (Grand Café in
Paris).There were 10 short films including the one showing workers .Each film is
17 meters long and runs approximately 50 seconds.

Foot Notes

*‘Lumiere’ means light in English, Auguste Marie Louis Nicolas (1862-1954) Louis Jean
(1864-1948).They are photographers who developed the cinematograph which was
patented in their named on 13th Feb 1895.They made a short film showing a train
approaching a railway station which was shown first in 1895.They went for a world tour
in 1896 with their equipment visiting Mumbai, London, Montreal, New York and
Buenos Aires. Cinematograph was part of the Paris exhibition cinematograph is a motion
picture film camera which serves as film projector and developer

Foot Notes

• Cinema is derived from the French word, ‘Cinematograph’ designed for the first
time and patented on 13th March 1895.Though movies were made since 1888
making use of camera equipments called ‘Kinetograph’ and ‘Kinetophone’ of
Thomas Edison, ‘electrotachyscope’ of Ottomar Anschuz of Germany,
‘Pleograph’ of kazimier of Poland. Ultimately it was the Cinematography that
established the monopoly in the making of motion pictures. The Britisher, John
Griffson also was in the same Endeavour but it was the Lumiere Brothers who
succeeded in making the equipment and got the patent for the same in 1895.

Cinematography is the art or science of motion picture photography.

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• Silent movies are movies (feature films, comics, short film documentaries) made
and shown all around the world. In sharp contrast to Europe and America, and
even the Far East, Indian silent movies are less preserved .The Pune, N.F.A.I
started in 1961 do not have the print of many of Indian silent movies and the early
talkies. A fire in 2003 most of the available ones. There were almost 1,100 silent
Movies made in South India and today we have only the print of a Malayalam
silent movie, ‘Marthanda Varma’ made in 1933.

Foot Notes

* History is created by a minority, the revolutionary section each and every society of
every age. Sometimes it is boring as an epoch is followed and preceeded by a dark
period running in to centuries. The writing or recording of history also done by a
minority called the ‘Creative minority’ which is not more than even one percent of
any society. The grand majority was, is and will be just followers or treckers along
the beaten track.
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INDEX

(1) Celluloid, Celluloid and celluloid

(2) Cinema kidding to cinema youth
(3) Vigatha Kumaran to Dental Surgeon
(4) P.U.Chinnappa, Agastheeswaram, Harris
(5) Chelangattu Gopalakrishnan
(6) Lumierre Brothers to Daniel
(7) Caste-Ridden mental framework of kerala
(8)Masters and Pioneers in Malayalam, Tamil and Hindi cinema
(9)Art, Culture and man in Kerala
(10) Cinema to Dilema

Conclusion
Bibliography.
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Chapter-1
Celluloid, Celluloid and Celluloid

It was in November 2012 that as part of navigating through various T.V

channels, a movie-based telecast in ‘Kairali We’ Channel explained the
news of a feature film in the making with Kamal at the helm of affairs. The
commentator briefed about the shoot shown as per which Mr. Prithviraj
Sukumaran, the budding super star of Malayalam filmdom, was in three
piece suit moving along a gravel road seated in a man-drawn cart or
rickshaw. There was an old hall-like structure at the side of the road bearing
a board which read ‘Capitol Cinema hall’. I was naturally interested about
the whole issue. Thereafter, keeping up with my small life experience of a
budding historian, I followed up the matter and found a write-up in a journal
in December 2012 giving a superficial knowledge of the project. I was still
in the dark about the historic content of the art by kamal.Barring ‘Gandhi’ of
Richard Attenbourough, no other movie, a feature film released and shown
in India had ever attracted my attention as a befitting biopic.Attenbourough
made exstentive studies about Gandhiji ever since late 1950s and made the
script and screenplay, finally shot the film and released it in 1982.
Biopics are seldom made in Attenborough style. Movie makers do not have
time for that.

J.C Daniel, the name was first heard when Shri: Madhu was given an award
for his life-time contributions to Malayalam films and industry. The award
was titled *‘J.C Daniel award’ and I happened to see the award being given
on T.V.This was in 2011,and the other matter in 2012.I happened to read a
small book at D.C Books stall in the heart of Kochi in the last part of
2012.The book written by Chelangattu Gopalakrishnan and titled, ‘Annatha
Nayikamar’. It was a casual reading at first as part of looking for a
biography on ‘Svadeshabhimani Ramakrishna Pillai’ .The book caught my
imagination and literary sense and read it at one stretch as per an
understanding with the salesman.(I did not have money to buy any book at
that point of time being out of job and searching for a new job).

*J.C Daniel award is Rs: 1 lakh, a citation and a memento. Instituted by Govt of Kerala in 1992,
first recipient of the same was Shri: T.E Vasudevan, the earliest film maker of Kochi, owned the
oldest cinema hall at Thripunithara in Kochi Princely state. The latest recipient is Shri:
J.Sasikumar, received the same on 14th February 2013.
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Chelangattu Gopalakrishnan was also a new name for me, and when I went
through the short description about the author, it appeared not much
impressive. The author became impressive for the fresh reader once the book
was completed reading. The old heroines like Rosie,Kamalakshmi Amma,
Miss:Kumari,M.K.Kamalam,Neyyantinkara kamalam,right up to yesterday’s
Unni Mary Pained me and thus the author who was an authentic cine
historian began to command my heart-felt respect and love. Indeed here was
somebody who spoke the harsh truth of cine world rejecting the role of a
petty paid propagandist of stars. His style was sharp and approach honest as
well as open. He was determined to arrive at the truth, no matter how hard
and how long the struggle may be.
Rosie’s introduction in the said book, the dalit-born Christian convert in
Thiruvanathapuram, was accompanied with a description about Viagatha
Kumaran and J.C.Daniel.The tragedy that happened and that which ruined
both Rosie and Daniel had a deep impact in my mind.
It was at the backdrop of this book reading at D.C.Books stall in Kochi that
the ‘Kairali We’ channel and later the journal attracted my studious
attention. The genuine humble researcher in poor me was put on alert and
finally the ads appeared in January 2013 on the walls and in the electronic-
print media that Kamal’s biopic of J.C.Daniel is to be screened
soon.Yes,there on a wall between Palarivattom and kaloor in Kochi,I found
the young Prithviraj as part of a still seated on a ‘rickshaw’ passing along the
‘Capitol cinema hall’ sometime in January 2013.The songs of the
movie,’Katte Katte’ and ‘Enundode Ambili Chandham’ also entered the
heart of millions, became caller tone of cell phones and also entered the
social network sites.

On 15th February 2013, the movie was released and in the beginning
‘Celluloid’ was received with lukewarm attitude, but soon the movie became
center stage of public discussion as the Kerala State Film awards were
declared on 22nd February 2013.Celluloid won *7 Kerala State Film awards
(best feature film, screenplay, Director, actor, song, art director etc).It was
on the same day that I made up my mind to go and see the film. I asked my
younger brother employed with Kochi Medical Trust Hospital to join me and
together we went and saw it on 25th Feb. The storyline captivated my senses
and I found the same with most of the viewers in the movie hall. The well-
knit movie started with a haunting musical score and a scene of a child
mishandling rolls or reels of celluloid, product of acute imagination, hard
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Labor and artistic precision. The caption screened read that *Indian Cinema
is currently celebrating the 100 years of the same (1913-2013).

Foot Notes

*Indian Cinema actually started in 1912, when a Marathi film maker cum photographer
namely Ramcahndra Gopal (Dadasaheb Torne) made a movie as a recording of a drama
called ‘Pundalik’ making use of his cinemetograph.
Though credit was given to Dadasaheb Phalke who made a feature film called ‘Raja
Harischandra’ in 1913.Torne made use of a British Cinematographer while Phalke had
his own Indian technician and the movie was a feature film.Torne’s movie was a
recording of a theater-play.

* It was on February 21 2013 that the Kerala Govt State film awards of 2012. 84
Malayalam feature films chased 30 state awards out of which 7 awards were given for
various categories of celluloid film(Best film,Director,actor,song,music director and best
screenplay),ie,almost 23% of the state awards.

Another caption read that the screen play is based on a novel titled,’Nashta
Nayika’ by Vinu Abraham. The novel seemed new to me and later on
realized that it was first published in 2008 and that Kamal was inspired by
the same. The most moving character shown in the movie, P.K.Rosamma
(Rosie) is in fact the pulaya girl who played the first heroine in Malayalam
Cinema.Chandini, a budding T.V channel reality show singer actually
brought the Dalit girl of late 1920s to real life, in front of my naked eyes.

The movie showed the J.C Daniel with more or less realism plunging in to a
world of art with whatever knowledge and material resources at his
command. He descended from a family of established doctors in Travancore,
Nadar-Converted Christians. His father as well as Grand father had been to
England and were successful doctors, medical practitioners. Dr.N.J.Daniel,
father to J.C.Daniel was the chief of Travancore State Health department in
the first decade of 20th century. It was he who designed the General Govt
Hospital in Thiruvananthapuram city. Yes, Joseph Chelaiah Daniel came
from one of the richest and most educated families in Travancore.He opted
for a very new career drawing inspiration from a English journal in his
college library.
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There is a instance in the movie, when Daniel played by Prithviraj is telling
the character, Phalke that he was dreaming, thinking and reading only about
cinema for the past two full years.

Celluloid remained a pain in most of viewer’s mind, as the show came to an

end. I heard many men and women talking about a period in our history
when man was almost an animal, cannot even tolerate a dalit behave in so-
called civic society. A girl cannot even be a part, a modest part of an art,
woman cannot talk in public, dalits cannot be ordinary human beings. This
was inspite of the Renaissance movements conducted in full swing under the
great reformers like Sree Narayana Guru, Ayyankali, and Pandit: Karuppan,
Sahodaran Ayyappan, Chattambi Swamikal and the British rule with all the
enlightened English education introduced right from 1848.The social system
remained conservative more or less and the pioneer fell a prey to the same.
Rosie was hunted as a stray dog and Daniel shifted to Madhurai (though
mentioned Agastheeswaram in movie) after selling off his studio,
equipments and practically all the remaining of assets. A pauper created and
a vagabond evolved.Vinu Abraham’s vivid description of Rosie and her
plight is product of imagination with artistic content, not at all wild or out of
context. It seems that he has himself taken upon himself the body language,
moods etc of Rosie and depicted her for the modern malayali world.Kamal
really understood Rosie, thanks to Vinus’s novel, nay a biography so to say.

Shame on the entire malayali society of those days that a girl was exiled,
rather she opted exile escaping death. An artist killed and a crime exalted.
Nobody cared for her as it is evident that during late 1960s when some of the
cine historians tried to dig out the past and find out whether she is still alive
or not somewhere, Rosie’s relatives in Thaikkad, Thiruvananthapuram were
so aggressive that the historians left them in a hurry. They were deeply
hostile for the crime committed almost 38-40 years back. A lady relative told
that ‘Rosie’ is a curse for all of them inspite of the fact that Janamma David,
the famous K.P.A.C singer is also a relative of Rosie.

* Rosie was not a name to reckon with for many, she was not even
considered a human being, may be a dog or a cat, always subjected to
ridicule, scorn and stones. It is Vinu and Kamal who re-instated her in
history and society as a full-fledged woman, as an artist, as a person to be
respected.
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Celluloid made many, especially the young think about society and
its dynamics. Art and caste are they related or as Daniel professed .Art is
beyond all man-made divisions. I will be treating this subject in a separate
chapter.

A young friend cum colleague of mine sent me a SMS as follows,

“Celluloid Superb, Classic”

This particular person was hesitant to see the movie for the first month of
it’s release, with his usual comment that it is HISTORY and so will be
boring. I requested him almost a dozens times and finally on 20th of March
he saw the film and was deeply moved. I requested almost a hundred of my
friends and relatives for the same and never had I got a negative feedback
from anyone who did see the movie. Everybody was impressed for good and
they were of different social status, age and profession, from a 16 year old to
a 83 year old, from a carpenter to a HR manager.

The movie made me think a lot and the researcher in me was once again
kindled. I started a study about J.C Daniel, Rosie, Sundar Raj, Phalke,
Nataraja Mudaliar and others related to cinema. The study took a month or
so and the concept of a book was thus born. The end result of the said study
was that many facets of Daniel’s personality became bright and a mental
state nurtured with positive energy for me.

Mr. Muraleedharan, M.L.A and son to Shri: K.Karunakaran, Ex C.M of

Kerala started a hue and cry in the last week of February 2013 that Kamal
has insulted his late father. There is no mention of the grand old man in the
film, though Kamal has tactfully tried to put forth the truth that the
bureaucratic-political leadership of Kerala in early 1970s and extending up
to late 1980s has long denied justice to the ‘Pioneer’ Malayalam cinema.
The efforts of a few of cine historians and journalists during this period to
struggle for the man met with scorn from the side of the bureaucracy and
their political masters.Shri: K.Karunakaran was Home Affairs Minister with
additional charge of Cultural Affairs department during the first half of
1970s.

Hue and cry developed in to a tirade involving effigy burning, public

nuisance and Press Conference.Muraleedharan was agitated, same was the
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Case with some of the ex-bureaucrats and serving bureaucrats who stood up
in arms against Kamal.

* Late Malayatoor Ramakrishnan, renouned literateur cum ex-bureaucrat

(I.A.S man) is also tactfully handled by Kamal, though the real name of
the man (Ramakrishna Iyer) was used in the movie. This bureaucrat was
the Cultural Affairs Secretary in Achyutha Menon Governmnet,
Summarily rejected genuine efforts to re-instate Daniel in Malayalam
cine history. This is the truth and the real-life character namely
‘Ramakrishna Iyer’ is played by Shri: Siddique in the movie.

Shri: N.S.Madhavan, Dr: Babu Paul and the like came forward against the
movie. They charged that the late literateur had never done injustice to
genuine men of art and culture, but Kamal had deliberately insulted the great
man through the medium of the film.
Kamal and his friends in cine world came up in a number of statements in
strong defence of his movie. He said he based all his views expressed on two
literary works,

(a) Nashta Nayika,novel by Vinu Abraham first published in 2008

(b) J.C.Danielinte Jeevitha Katha by *Chelangattu Gopalakrishnan
published in 2011.

Foot Notes
Malayatoor Ramakrishnan (27th May 1927 to 27th December 1997).A prominent malayali
literateur and cartoonist. Authored novels, short stories and biographies: Yanthram,
Verukal, Yakshi and service story are his most famous works.
K.V Ramakrishna Iyer was also a practicing lawyer and an IAS officer. Held various
prominent posts.(served as Magistrate in Kerala Judicial Service from 1954 to
1957,entered IAS in 1957,Served as Sub-Collector in Ottapalam,Collector in
Kozhikode,headed various departments in Secretariat of Kerala, inclusive of Board of
Revenue and Lalitha Kala Academy)His experiences are mentioned in his literary work
called, ‘service story-Ente IAS dinangal’. Resigned from IAS in 1981 and devoted more
time to literature. (In state Administration from 1957 to 1981, i.e, 24 years)

Foot Notes
Chelangattu Gopalakrishnan is known as the first cine historian cum journalist in
Malayalam filmdom. He passed away in June 2010, leaving behind a mine of information
about Malayalam cinema. It was his son, Saju Chelangattu who published the manuscript
in book-form after a year of the former’s demise.
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The screenplay is derived from these works and that what has been
expressed through the movie is truth. He requested all the critics, declared
enemies and mud-slangers to see the same. The politicians
(Muraleedharan,Padmaja and Cultural Affairs Minister,Shri: K.C.Joseph)
began fighting the movie as such inspite of the fact the jury appointed by
Kerala Govt statutory body(Kerala State Chalachitra Academy)had officially
acknowledged and awarded the project on 22nd of February 2013.A minister
turned against a Govt recognized movie, and another minister,Dr:M K
Muneer aired a neutral stand supportive of the creative freedom of
artists.Cine actor,Jagadeesh opined that Kamal has misrepresented history in
the movie, but did not express anything against Karunakaran,he proposed for
his mediation which was rejected by Kamal.Thus Celluloid was in limelight
althroughout Feb last and March first week.Muraleedharan capitulated with
a statement that he had seen the film and there is no mention of his late
father in the same. He declared the winding up of hostility ending all effigy-
burning drama.

Celluloid achieved *commercial success with packed house in Kannur to

Thrissur, in Thiruvanathapuram to Ernakulam.The central Govt of India
declared national film awards on 18th March 2013.Celluloid received award
for the best Malayalam feature film. Thus official state recognition on
behalf of Govt of Kerala as well the Govt of India, made the movie pass in
to history, Kamal achieved historic position and the case of J.C.Daniel,
Rosie, also of Vigatha Kumaran became household names to reckon with.
People started discussion in train, bus and in flight. In short a movie created
social effect, an impact in ordinary man’s life to a certain limit.

Foot Notes

The commercial success of ‘Celluloid ‘prompted many to respond with their creative
faculty on topics related to J.C.Daniel.
OMC (website on old Malayalam cinema) initiated a fruitful debate on the questions of
first studio, first feature film, year of release of the same etc.The debate online was
initiated in January 2013.
Kowdiar Das, a documentary maker took pains to re-create ‘Vigatha Kumaran’and the
same was telecasted in March 2013.
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Capitulation of a politician gave way to still a higher form of attack in the

realm of intellect and thought. This time it was Manarcadu Mathew, senior
malayala manorama correspondent. The 80 plus elder published a 5-column
report on his research in protest of the movie, in protest of certain distortions
made in the movie, distortions of history. It was published on 25 Feb 2013.

Mr. Mathew’s argument was that Kamal reproduced what all presented by
Chelangattu Gopalakrishnan without any critical evaluation. It was not
Chelangattu but he who arranged for the recovery of the film reels (print) of
* ‘Marthanda Varma’ from Thiruvananthapuram and coaxed the Pune,
N.F.A.I to take over the same on behalf of the India Govt.In the movie, this
is being done by Chelangattu.Another point of relevance is that it was he
who got in touch with old Daniels (J.C.Daniel and Janet Daniel) and
arranged for a photo session. The report and photo were first published in
malayala manorama daily on November 20th 1973.He even argued that this
very photo was given to Chelangattu on request, later to be the cover story of
the biography of J.C.Daniel by the cine historian. A photo copy of the said
report was reproduced in the 25th Feb article. Thus the veracity of
Chelangattu as a historian was questioned.

Foot Notes

* ‘Marthanda Varma’ is the second movie of Malayalam cinema made in 1932 and was
ready for projection in 1933.This was produced by Sunder Raj, the key man who
supported Daniel in late 1920s,for his endeavour,’Vigatha Kumaran’.This movie had an
excellent screenplay made by Sunder Raj himself, based on C.V.Raman Pillai’s
Malayalam novel called “Marthanda Varma’.As per copy rights regulations, the
distributor cum publisher,’Kamalalayam’ book depot of TVM initiated legal action and
the film was banned, the prints confiscated and handed over to kamalalayam book depot.
It remained dormant for 40 years (1933to 1973) when Chelangattu guided by Daniel
approached a pauperised Sunder Raj at Kannanmoola in TVM and then the Kamalalayam
owner more about this in a separate chapter. In short ‘Marthanda Varma’ is the only
silent movie of south India whose print survived all these years and is still available.
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This article indeed started a series of write-ups for and against the message
of the movie. The fact that it was in 1968 that Daniel was approached for the
first time by any correspondent was again brought to light. It was ‘Malayali’
(now defunct) that published the news of Daniel being alive, this was in
1968.

Two authentic books on Malayalam cinema were published by the cine

historian soon after meeting ailing Daniel,

(a) Chalachitra vyavasayam Keralathil,in 1968

(b) Malayala cinemayude Charithram,in 1972

There is a big chapter each in both on J.C.Daniel, Janet Daniel and others in
these books.
It was in 1973 that Mr. Manarcadu Mathew visited the grand old man at
Agastheeswaram and a photo session organized. Though the article first
published in defunct ‘Malayali’ is no more available (1968 article) but the
mentioned books are available in which the encounters with Daniels are
vividly mentioned.

The Malayalam journal world got this case of Vigatha Kumaran,Marthanda

Varma, J.C.Daniel and Rosie highlighted and this practise started with Mr.
Mathew’s article on 25th Feb 2013(on the 10th day of the movie projection)
to the present day ‘Malayalam weekly’ dated 5th April 2013 published 4 big
write-ups in support of the Master silent film and Father of Malayalam
Cinema. A ex-P.R.D of Kerala Govt, * Mr. Thottathil Rajasekharan
succeeded Manarcadu Mathew went a step ahead and came up with an
article titled,’Aranee Daniel’ (Who is this Daniel?) even challenging the
existence of both Daniel and a silent movie called Vigatha Kumaran.He
argued for the old Govt stand prevalent till 1992 that .T.R.Sundharam, and
that ‘Balan’, the first Malayalam movie or feature film. He negated the
efforts between 1928 to 1938, as if ‘Balan’ was born from wilderness as a
fairy tale.

Foot Notes
• Thottathil Rajasekharan retired from Kerala State Civil Services as Director of
Public Relations, in 1985.Born in 1930; he was a colleague of Malayattoor
Ramakrishnan, held responsible positions like. He started career as a college
 (16)
• lecturer, thereafter 27 years with the Govt department of Public Relations
inclusive of 10 years as P.R.D (Public Relation Director).He served as P.R.O to
the Governor of Kerala State, ten times was member of kerala State Film Award
committee, twice Director of Kerala State Film Development Corporation
(K.S.F.C).Retired in 1985, and was member of Kerala Film censor Board,
Director of Kerala Press Academy.

His encyclopedic, work titled ‘Cinemayum Kalyum Jeevithavum’is exhaustive of cine

history, published in 2010.It is totally silent about ‘Vigatha Kumaran’ and J.C.Daniel not
to speak of ‘Marthanda Varma’ and Sundhar Raj.According to his expertise on cinema
,or rather masterly scholarship on cinema,Balan emerged from the blue in 1938.

J.C.Daniel is a forklore for Thottathil inspite of the fact that he was part of
Kerala Govt as a bureaucrat in 1992, when as a result of more than 2
decades of struggle ignited by Chelangattu Gopalakrishnan the Cultural
Affairs ministry headed by Shri: .T.M.Jacob instituted the ‘J.C .Daniel
Award’ with special mention of Daniel as the ‘Father of Malayalam
Cinema’.K.Karunakaran was then the CM and he as the head of the cabinet
did not rule out the proposal of his minister. The public pressure mounted
was to succeed.Thottathil is now demanding that the award be withdrawn
and the title of Fatherhood be taken away. What happened to him, may be
too much embarrassed of the movie accepted by Malyali Society.I went
through the four articles in support of Daniel legaly in reply to Thottathil’s
article in the issue proceeding the 5th April issue of ‘ Malayalam’ weekly .I
found the reason for Thottathil Rajasekharan’s antagonism, in Kunnukuzhy
Mani’s article(Mani is an elder, a dalit writer cum historian who had met
J.C.Daniel in early 1970s) that Thottathil was a young colleague of
Mlayatoor Ramakrishnan althroughout 1970s as the former was working in
P.R.D (Public Relations Department)from 1972 to 1985.The efforts of
Chelangattu Gopalakrishnan to find Govt recognition of J.C Daniel met with
extreme scorn at bureaucratic circles in the secretariat(Head Quarters of
Kerala Govt).Thottathil with access to the office of cultural Affairs
department in the guise of a senior staff in P.R.D,developed allergy for
everything related to the pioneers. He also maintained that Malayalam
cinema was born in 1938 from wilderness and that *T.R.Sundharam of
Salem came down as a Godman to initiate a Malayalam cinema, though he
was a Tamilian.A Brahmin businessman who was influential in both
Political-movie sectors of South Indian society was clamoured as the Father
of Malayalam Cinema.
 (17)
Foot Notes
• T.R Sundharam was an established businessman of Salem, educated in England
he ventured in to Cinema and started a production company called, ‘Modern
Theaters’ in 1936.He produced ‘Balan’, the first Malayalam talkie, in fact his
second movie which was released in 1938.It was actually a usurpation of a
genuine movie in making titled ‘Vidhiyum Mrs.: Nayarum’ of a keralite called A
Sundharam Pillai.T.R.Sundharam purchased or hijacked the half-made movie and
made it his own with a new director and a new script- writer(Muthukulam
Raghava Pillai).He was a Brahmin, a leading businessman of South India who had
some sort of control and influence over Malayalam Cinema till his death in 1963.
Most of his 96 feature films are in Tamil, as his production company prospered
and had the required technology to make the first colour film in Tamil as well as
in Malayalam (Alibabayum Nalpathu Kallanmarum in Tamil and kandam bacha
kottu in Malayalam.)

Thottathil being a henchman of Karunakaran was suppresed by the ‘A’

group of the congress party, when *A.K.Antony rose to prominance
during early 1990s.He remained silent when T.M.Jacob bravely
sponsored ‘J.C.Daniel Award’ and allotted pension for Mrs. Janet Daniel
in 1992.

Now after all these years, almost after 21 years, he is up in arms against
celluloid, J.C.Daniel,Vigatha Kumaran, Rosie and everything related to
these. His encyclopeadic work on cinema published in 2010 has nothing
about the pioneers; rather he has repeated what Malayatoor
Ramakrishnan said decades back and what he himself supported
althroughout in Govt service.
Foot Notes
*Shri: A.K.Antony is currently the union cabinet minister for defence affairs. He was
the leader of the radicals within the congress (I) party who opposed Mrs. Indira
Gandhi as well as Sanjay Gandhi. It was the Rajan case that forced Shri:
K.Karunakaran to resign from the post of C.M in 1977 and Antony at a very young
age became the caretaker CM. In 1980, he left Congress (I) and forged an alliance
with the left becoming a minister in E.K Nayanar Govt.This was in vogue till 1982,
when the ministry fell and congress (A) party merged with congress (I).
Shri: K.Karunakaran had to resign as C.M in 1995 beginning and Mr. Antony again
became a caretaker from March 1995 to May 1996.Again CM from May 2001 to
August 2004.In 2005,he became Union Cabinet Minister for defence,again in the
same post ever since 2009.The rise of A.K.Antony ever since 1977 as the care taker
CM in Kerala Politics inspite of the strong disfavour of Sanjay Gandhi and Mrs.Indira
Gandhi, brought about the decline of their man,Shri.K.Karunakaran.It was by 1995
March that the decline reached it’s highest limit.Karunakaran was cornered once for
all. This was evident even in 1992.
 (18)

‘Celluloid’ is today not just a feature film that has achieved several Govt
awards, that has been a Commercial Success, but a cultural question for
the so-called intelligentsia and so-called thought-tanks to ponder and
challenge. A debate is progressing and several social realities that were in
vogue in late 1920s, still existing in disguise, are being discussed. This is
positive whatsoever.Mannarkadu Mathew,Thottathil Raja sekharan,N.S
.Madhavan,DrBabu Paul,Muraleedharan M.L.A, K.C.Joseph-Minister,Dr
M.K.Muneer:Minister,Shri:VijayaKrishnan,Cinehistorian,Vinu
Abraham,Saju Chelangattu,son to Chelangatt
Gopalakrishnan,Kunnukuzhy Mani,Dalit historian are all busy over the
matter.

Celluloid, Celluloid and Celluloid Art, biopic, Social criticism, nothing

more and nothing less.

Foot Notes (page 10*Rosie)

*The first heroine artist in Malayalam Cinema was portrayed for the first time for
public evaluation, only in 2008 by Vinu Abraham through his famous novel, ‘Nashta
Nayika’.A first ever documentary film was made on Rosie in 2011 called ‘Rosiyude
Katha’ by Mr. Sanal.It is a half an hour film on her. Rosie has featured in an earlier
documentary film called’Lost Life’ made by ‘R.Gopalakrishnan’, noted still
photographer. It is a biographical documentary on J.C.Daniel with a mention of
Rosie. This was in 2006 R.Gopalakrishnan is also a character portrayed in ‘Celluloid’
as a person who made the first ever docu film on J.C.Daniel.

The matter of Vigatha Kumaran and the like was first made a debate online by
www.oldmalayalamcinema.wordpress.com.

+
 (19)

CHAPTER -2
CINEMA IN INFANCY TO CINEMA IN YOUTH

The birth of a child is preceded by a period of almost 9 months and a week

or so involving a woman’s pregnancy and then labor pain. Cinema also has
such a history. The Lumiere Brothers are always given the credit of making
the wonder happen through an expansion of photography at their disposal.
But their were many who endeavoured for the same, much before the
Lumieres.The industrial revolution that let lose productive forces in Europe
and America is in fact the parents of all modern arts.

In the words of *Arnold Toynbee “Hand work was replaced by

machine work, the domestic system of production, i.e, making products at
home gave place to the factory system. The small out of goods for a local
market yielded place to mass production for a worldwide market.
Revolutionary changes in transport and communications also took place.
The industrial revolution was not an event; it was a process a continuing
process.”

Foot Notes

*Arnold Toynbee (Arnold Joseph Toynbee) lived from April 1889 to October 1975.A
great British historian whose 12 volume analysis of the rise and fall of civilizations, ‘A
Study of History’ during 1934 to 1961 was a synthesis of world history, examined history
from a global perspective. He was a major consultant to the British (U.K) Government
during 1918 to 1950 on international relations and affairs especially the Middle East.

The revolution began in Britain; from there it spread to the United States of
America, where it flourished. As time passed, it extended to other countries
of Europe, Asia, Latin America, Canada and Australia. This happened in the
mid 18th century. Revolutionary changes took place in the means of transport
and communications right from the beginning of the 19th century. The first
railway locomotive was built in 1804.In 1807; an American called Robert
Fulton built a Steam ship which carried out regular service on river,
Hudson.The first rail road service was opened in England (1825) and in
 (20)
India (1853).After the First World War (1914-1918), newer forms of
transport evolved. In 1885, Karl Benz, a German engineer invented motor
car while another German friend of his, Gottleib Daimler introduced the
gasoline engine that could run a motor cycle. Henry Ford of U.S.A produced
the first cheap car. Air transport began in early 20th century and it was in
1903 the Wright brothers made the first successful flight in a motor-driven
plane. In 1919, regular air-service was established between London and
Paris.

The system of communications was revolutionized with the invention of

wireless telegraphy, telephone, radio and television. In 1844 Samuel Morse
used a hand operated telegraphic key and transmitted a message through the
instrument that he had designed, and devised. Alexander Graham Bell
invented the telephone in 1876 and in 1899, an Italian Gugliemo Marconi
forged wireless telegraph and despatched the first wireless message across
the English Channel. Based on Marconi’s invention, radio broadcasting and
television developed. In 1902,the radio-telephone was invented by Paulsen
and Essenden of U.S.A, Commercial broadcasting began in 1920.A
Scotsman named J.S Baird Conceived television in 1926 and it became
widespread by 1940.The radar was invented and this made detection of
movements of planes and ships.
There have been sweeping changes in technology consequent on automation,
progress in electronics and nuclear fission. Automation has helped human
labour to minimum in tending machines. Electronics enabled making of
machines which inspect and control the output of other machines. Nuclear
fission has provided the world with a new source of energy. Today the
Nano-technology is yet another possibility.
Celluloid, cinematograph and cinema were born in the second half of 19th
century. They had their infancy in the last decade of the 19th century and
grew in to a child in the first two decades of 20th century, a teenager in the
3rd and 4th decades and a youth in the mid-20th century.

The birth and growth of this art, industry as well a medium has it’s roots in
the explained industrial revolution which indeed was the outcome of a
tremendous change in the realim of thought (philosophy) that challenged the
feudal socio-political-economics of old world order. This protest movement
both in religion and philosophy during 16th and 17th centuries (*Reformation
and Renaissaince) paved the path of Industrial revolution in mid 18th
century. The social system with all the cultural –political paraphernalia
 (21)

Changed at least in Europe during this epoch. The older social relations
based on feudal equations gradually transformed to that of today. Europe
was fortunate is putting into effect the aftermath of new revolutionary
concepts of life aided by science and technology. The most significant
change was evident in economy as well as religion. Mobility of human
labour, both mental and manual was a direct result of Renaissance. Human
mind and body were liberated from immediate place of birth(liberation from
localisation of profession,vocation,trade,education,mind,employment and
social life).This was preceded by almost 8 centuries of acute feudal practices
with science,literature,art and religion lying dormant.

Foot Notes

*Reformation is known in history as the protest movement in the realm of thought and
religion and Renaissance, the drastic change in the realm of art, culture and science in
man’s life.

Renaissance happened during 14th to 16th centuries during a revival happened in the
thought and culture of ancient Greece and Rome. It brought about re-birth of art, science
paving the dawn of the modern age, making a turning point from the dark ages science
began to replace old superstitions in all fields of man’s life. Reformation and the
Geographic discoveries of the 15th, 16th and 17th centuries were the direct outcomes
caused in the spirit of Renaissance.

Reformation brought about modernism in the field of religion (realm of thought).It was a
revolt within the Roman Catholic Church which controlled the European Politics till
medieval times. New church groups called Protestants evolved with Britain as a major
political force to support them.

Cinema progressed with movie camera and *Celluloid descending from the
brain of this liberated man. It succeeded photography, in fact an extension of
the same kinetograph and kinetophone were used for motion picture making
at the studios of Thomas Alva Edison, one of the pioneers. This was in the
second last decade of 19th century, i.e during 1880s.Celluloid began to be
used in photography first in 1880 and in motion picture making by the close
of that decade (1888).The first ever narrative movie was made in the same
year called the ‘Raundhay garden scene’, though the first projected
primary,proto-movie was made between 1877 and 1880.Celluloids got a safe
 (22)
entry in to motion pictures precisely in 1888 and better ones from 1889
onwards. The 2 second length ‘Raundhay Garden Scene’ used celluloid and
it marked the birth of cinema, the most powerful mass media cum art till
date.

Foot Notes

• Celluloid is a class of compounds created from nitrocellulose and camphor, with

added dyes and other materials. It was regarded as the first thermoplastic, created
as ‘Parkesine’ in 1862 and as ‘xylonite’ in 1869,before being registered as
‘Celluloid’ in 1870.
It is easily moulded and shaped, and was widely used as ivory replacement. Highly
inflammable and easily decomposes. It is no longer widely used. It’s common usage of
today are in table tennis balls and guitar picks British photographer, ‘John
Carbutt’founded the keystone Dry plate works’ in 1879 with the intention of producing
gelatin dry plates. The celluloid manufacturing company was contracted for this work.
Celluloid strips were coated with a photosentive gelatin emulsion. It was by 1888 (after 9
years) that John Carbutt standardized this process. A 15 inch wide (380mm) sheet of film
thus manufactured was used by ‘William Dickson’ for the early ‘Edison Motion pictures’
experiments on a cylinder drum,kinetograph (predecessor of cinematograph).It was by
1889,an year later that more flexible Celluloid for photographic film were developed.
Thus this ability to produce photo images on a flexible matter.

The child was born and there is a history of its infancy, teenage and youth.
The infancy is characterized by a special era called the ‘silent era’ with
intertitles, live music and sound, projection speed and tinting. The teenage,
by an era called ‘sound era’ and youth by an era called ‘colour era’.

Silent era (1888 to 1927)

*sound era (1927, still continuing)
*colour era (1910, still continuing)

The earlier motion pictures or movies were seconds to minites long

recordings or documentaries .The ‘Roundhay Garden Scene’ was just a
kinetographic recording of a few people walking in ‘Oakwood streets’
garden. Cinema’s infancy saw the art of motion pictures growing in to full
maturity as silent movies during 1894 to 1929.Motion pictures began to be
known as cinema only during this period, with the cinematograph of
Lumieres replacing Kinetograph of Edison. Cinematograph patented in
 (23)
February 1895 became the sole motion picture camera ever since that year.
This monopoly had an effect on the name of the art as such. Cinema’s
infancy (1888 to 1927) also witnessed the birth of a tendency that later on
distinguished the youth. This is the colour system that is one of the
characteristics of present-day cinema. The silent era saw the genesis of color
system in the form of ‘Kinema color’ in 1909 in the 21st year of cinema or
motion pictures.

Foot Notes

• Sound era: The synchronization of sound technology format with movies brought
about the teenage of cinema. Various formats like Photokinema (1921),
Phonofilm (1923), vita phone (1926), fox movie tone (1927) and RCA
Photophone(1928) .These formats created perfection and the era became
dominant.
• Coloue era: Early motion pictures were colour-less while projected.Colour
photographic film in a format suitable for use in a motion picture camera and to
finished motion picture film ready for use in a projector, which bears images in
colour.The first colour cinematography was by means of addictive color systems
such as the one patented in England by ‘Edward Raymond Turner’ in 1899 and
tested in 1902.A successful system was developed by ‘George Albert Smith’
commercialized in 1909 called, ‘Kinemacolor’.These however used black and
white film to photograph and project two or more component images through
different color filters. This was followed by ‘film tinting’, a system with process
in which either the emulsion or the film is dyed, giving the image a uniform
monochromatic color. This was mostly used for the silent movies. But the sound
era evolved three distinct process, they are
• (a) ECN-2 -> Eastman color Negative 2 chemistry
• (b) ECP -2 -> Eastman colour positive 2 chemistry
• © FUJI films with SUFG(super unified Fine Grain Films)

‘Eastman colour’ was introduced in 1950 by Kodak’s first economical single strip 35mm
negative-positive process incorporated in to a strip of film. It became dominant in 1955.

Intertitles were added to cinema when the motion pictures increased their
duration. A storyline cannot be expressed in motion alone and so the
early *in-house interpreter was relaced.As silent movies had no
synchronized sound for dialogue, onscreen intertitles were used to narrate
story points, present key dialogue and also make comments for the
 (24)
audience. A profession called, ‘title write’ came in to vogue and in
distinct from the ‘scenario writer’ who created the story.

Foot Notes

*In-house interpreter was a feature of early cinema; it was prevalent in Indian cinema
till late 1920s.He would be explaining parts of the film.

Music and sound were part of silent cinema, but on live. This was
considered essential to create emotions in audience. At the first public
screening of Lumiere Brothers’ film on December 28th 1895, a pianist
performed at the back of the screen. Music was even played on film sets
during shooting. The cinema houses had a pianist to perform for the
shows. In mid 1910s, large cinema houses began having an orchestra for
such live music. There were large theater organs that can create special
effects. Some parts of Latin America and even the far eastern Asia had
singers behind the screen. However with the advent of talkies, all these
musicians and instrumentalises became unemployed.
The silent era had melodrama as the principal acting style. The infancy
was specific as the early cinema actors were all from stage plays. They
expressed characters through their body language and facial expression.
In the second decade of 20th century, this melodrama gave way to
naturalism.
The projection speed is another feature of the infancy (silent era).It was
often anywhere from 12 to *26 fps.Standard silent movie speed was said
to be 16 fps.The silents had complicated frame rates as they cannot be too
slow or too fast.

Foot Notes

*FPS is frames per second. It is also called frame rates. This determines the speed of
film projection.

Tinting is a special feature of the infancy as it was the effort to present

recorded images in color. This was preceded by the kinema color. Tinting
became very much established during the second decade of 20th century
as the film or celluloid itself was dyed so that projection of the same gave
a uniform color. This started in 1890s itself as the cinematograph was
powerless to make images in their natural color. Images were in black
 (25)
and white.Coloured lights were even used or flashed on areas of the
screen to give a color effect.
*D.W.Griffith was a master of tinting. In fact it was Griffith who made
use of tinting in it’s perfection for cinema. Silent era (1888-1927) set
forth cinema speech less, though feature films expressed excellent story
lines. Film-makers made use of mime, pathos, comedy splastick, and
what not.

Foot Notes
*D.W.Griffith is one of the masters of the silent era. He innovated and experiments
many novelties for movies. His classic cinema, ‘Birth of a Nation’ in 1915 is still a
glittering example of these days. More about in a chapter.

The late 1920s saw the advent of the impossible (sound technology).This
replaced muted gestures with real dialogues, replaced title cards with
full-fledged screen-play. The idea of combining motion pictures with
recorded sound is nearly as old as film itself, but owing to technical
challenges involved, synchronized dialogue and music was only made
possible practical with the perfection of the ‘Audio Amplifier tube’ and
the introduction of the ‘vitaphone’system. The release of ‘The
Jazzsinger’in 1927 brought forth the dawn of ‘sound era’.
Yes infancy grew in to childhood and then in to teenage. Surely some
aspects of childhood remained as ‘silent movies’ continued to be made
throughout 1930s.Sound technology created ‘talkies’ and the sound era
grew out of the silent era. The teenager was in full growth in mid 1930s,
the *last silent movie made in late 1930s.

Foot Notes
*Last silents: Cinema was mute, speechless from birth till late 1920s.It remained
silent as some of the film-makers found it extremely difficult to adopt the technology,
and they continued with their creations till late 1930s,at last they withdrew as their
films repeatedly flopped. Thus silent era actually ended in height of sound era.Inspite
of financial independence,Sir:Charles Spencer Chaplin(Charlie Chaplin)refused to
make sound films or talkies and continued to make silents althroughout 1930s.His
films remained silent (speech-less)with the specific artistic intention of being silent.
It was in 1978 that a bulldozer uncovered buried reels of nitrate film during
excavation of a landfill at Dawson city in U.S.A.Dawson city was a major centre of
the distribution line for many films. The films (silents)retired from ‘Circulations’
were stored and preserved at a local library until 1929,when the flammable nitrate
(celluloid) was used as a landfill in a condemned swimming pool. Stored for 50 years
(1929 to 1978) the films turned out to be extremely well preserved. These silents are
now housed at the ‘Library of Congress’.
 (26)

Cinema as a teenager became more impressive with sound. Feature films

were accompanied with a volley of animated (cartoon) films, this in fact
turned out to be a branch of cinema. Cinema was actively taken up by the
rest of the world in the second decade of 20th century and many silents
were born from Latin America to Australia, from Japan to India, every
nook and corner of the world irrespective of language, culture and
nationality experimented this art and soon .Cinema as an infant became a
global phenomenon. Talkies were released althroughout the globe during
1930s and 1940s.
The silent called ‘Battleship Potemkim’ of Russia is a classic.Dadasaheb
Phalke(Dundiraj Govind Phalke)created India’s first silent (Indian
cinematic infant) called ‘Raja Harischandra’ in 1913 and the first Indian
talkie(Indian Cinematic teenager) was projected in 1931 with a duration
of 124 minutes (2 hours and 4 minutes),called ‘Alam Arah’directed by
*Ardeshir Irani’.The (Malayalam cinematic infant) Malayalam silent was
* ‘ Vigatha Kumaran’which was made between 1928 and 1930,exhibited
or projected first in October 1930 at Thiruvanthapuram.

Foot Notes
*Ardeshir Irani: He was active making silents in 1920s but was observing what was
going on in Hollywood. His unanisitive mind brought him in touch with European
and American cinema their innovations. Took risk and made the first talkie which
was screened in Mumbai(Feb 1931) with a cast inclusive of India’s earliest hero-
figure,Mr Prithviraj Kapoor,Father to Raj Kapoor and Great Grand Father to Kareena
Kapoor.
Zubaida, the earliest heroine of Hindi Cinema played a lead role in this talkie. Though
a fire in Pune, National film Archives of India during 2003 destroyed the preserved
print of ‘Alam Arah’.

*Vigatha Kumaran or the ‘Lost Child’ is believed to be made in 1928 and projected
either in 1928 or in 1930.There is a conflict in the date of release .Still it was born out
of great labor and high hopes and dreams of J.C.Daniel,the pioneer indeed.

*Film reels of important events in the history of Indian national freedom struggle are
available in private collections, Archives of Researchers as well as with the Govt of
India.
 (27)

The color era actually initiated during the silent era itself, when in late
1890s, some films were hand-tinted and these were made at Edison
studios. In the absence of natural color processing, silents ever since
1890s were frequently dipped in to dye stuffs to give a mood depicted on
a character or show a time of a day.
Blue for night scenes,
Yellow or Amber for day,
Red for fire,
Green for mystery,
Color-setting or tinting became a leading feature of cinema along with
music in the second decade of 20th century. As explained earlier Griffith
made use of tinting as a distinct trade mark for his classic work,’ The
Birth of a Nation’ in 1915.
Eastman colours dawned in 1950 and this marked the youth of cinema.
The ECN 2 and ECP 2 of Kodak Company in fact revolutionized cinema
and colour became part of the same in it’s natural format. Cinema of
1950s(late 1950s),1960s,1970s,1980s,1990s,and today in 21st century has
become more and more colourful.Today clarity of picture(images) in all
it’s details is a major factor for the commercial success of a cinema along
with the storyline. The art director and the cinematographer are more and
more colour-conscious to make the wonder of late 19th century really
artful in the 125th year. The young cinema has become old today and
soon may give way to an extension, a much higher art called *DILEMA’
more about that in a different chapter.

Foot Notes

*Cinema born in late 1880s is now at the verge of itself being raw material for a
much higher art cum medium called ‘Dilema’.It is digital cinema in short. Digital
informatics and electronics will be ruling the medium in successive stages of the art.
The conventional movie camera, cinema halls, film or celluloid as such may
disappear. More about it in a different chapter.
 (28) CHAPTER-3
VIGATHA KUMARAN TO DENTAL SURGEON

The 1920s was the period althroughout the world, when experiments in
socio –political areana of life, were taking place. In Russia, a new system
called Soviet Union came up, in Europe the old imperialist powers were
challenged by new forces in Germany and Italy, Japan evolved as a major
power in Asia, India was experiencing national political awakening under
the able leadership of Gandhiji.

Travancore which was a princely state obviously under the suzerainity of the
British rule, has evolved some sort of modern legislature inspite of the royal
family. Many pioneering modern structures and facilities got initiated in line
with Europe. The Travancore science college was part and parcel of these. A
teenager, namely *Joseph Chelaiah Daniel joined the college for
*Intermediate course. This was in 1916.He was from Kanyakumari district,
though had his ancestral home at Neyyatinkara.The *L.M.S compound near
the museum at Trivandrum city had a hostel called ‘wills hostel’ which was
the second home of Daniel. He was an inmate ever since high school days. A
footballer with a good physique, the teenager had a liking for material arts as
well as books.

Foot Notes

*Intermediate course was a 2 year university course preceding graduation. This was
successively called the Pre-university course and then the Pre-Degree course. Presently it
had be separated from university and made a part of school called Higher Secondary
course (plus two).
*J.C.Daniel (Joseph Chelaiah Daniel) was born on November 20th 1900.Acclaimed and
acknowledged by the Filmdom and society as ‘Father of Malayalam Cinema’ passed
away in abject poverty and acute oblivion on 29th April 1975.
*L.M.S is London Mission Society.

The rich and famous father of the boy (Dr: N.J.Daniel, who was the chief
medical officer in Travancore Health Department) had even employed an
expert of martial arts and swordplay, from Malabar to stay at Neyyatinkara
and give coaching to the young Daniel during vacations. The capital city
(Anandapuri) of Trivadrum had a fascination for him, with all the modern
buildings, tall shady trees at either sides of main road, libraries and friends at
 (29)

college and hostel. The upbringing, affluence at home, proper academic

atmosphere at college, the warmth at wills hostel and above all the English
education received gave enough room for the artist in Daniel to nourish and
grow. He made use of the leisure time in voracious reading as well as games.

Books,magazines,newspapers,foot ball, martial arts and a tender love affair

during the teenage(precisely between 1916 and 1920) built a distinctive
personality for the *Nadar converted Travancore an Christian. The *L.M.S
organization had a library in the compound and a man called, Joel Singh was
the chief over there. The voracious reader had a membership of this L.M.S
library as well, from where he used to lend books. A chance encounter with
the 13 year old daughter of Joel Singh caused the love factor. The pretty girl
named Janet Rachael and the college student, Daniel maintained a friendship
for five long years, when finally with the consent of both the families, they
got married in 1924.

Foot Notes

*Kerala society, just like present-day North India was based on castes, i.e, social status
awarded as per profession or trade followed. There were untouchables, unapproachables,
Govt clerks, soldiers, kshatriyas etc.
The Nadars were a community of toddy workers in South Kerala, a caste, called ezhavas
in the rest of Kerala.They were considered low caste, though they became rich in
19th,20th,centuries,owning most of banks and other business establishments of
Travancore.The affluence did not improve their social status typical of the casteism
professed in those days. Some of the nadars embraced Christianity being influenced by
the foreign and native Christian evangelists. This conversion had an effect and they began
to earn respect in social cirles.Daniel’s forefathers were England-educated rich medical
practitioners and his father was in Travancore state service.

*L.M.S is London mission society, a major British evangelist mission that operated side
by side with C.M.S.

As per Daniel’s only surviving children (Harris Daniel and Lalitha Henry)
the affluent, highly resourceful family of their father never raised a dissent
for having an alliance with a middle-class family. This in fact was the
outcome of enlightened education and culture derived by the forefathers
of the * ‘pioneer man’.
 (30)
The intermediate student of Travancore Science College developed indeed a
second love and this was around the same year of his first love, i.e, 1919.The
second love was ‘Cinema’ or motion pictures. He fell in to love with her as
he was deeply in meditation with an American magazine in Travancore
Science college library sometime in 1919.It remained a passion till his death
in 1975(56 years).The intermediate course ended and the lover shifted to
Agastheswaram in Kanyakumari (Presently in Tamilnadu, but part of
travancore till 1957).Where Dr, J.C.Daniel had a palace built in 1905.

Foot Notes

*Pioneer man: J.C.Daniel is in fact the pioneer who initiated Malayalam cinema. This
was in 1928 and today in 2013; Malayalam cinema has acquaral an age of 84 years, and
entered the 85th year.

*Dr: N.J.Daniel was the chief medical officer of Travancore Health Department. He
designed the Trivandrum General hospital and was close to the king of Travancore (Sree
Moolam Thirunal).He had a palatial house built at Agastheeswaram in 1904 with
European, Keralite and Tamilian architecture combined. The family was shifted from
Neyyatinkara to Agashteeswaram in 1905.Dr.Daniel owned hundreds of acres of land
with coconut, rice and also forest, all received in remuneration or gift from the royal
family. A U.K educated medical man, he had 11 children out of which 2 died young and
J.C Daniel was the seventh child. He was no more when J.C.Daniel fell in love with Janet
and cinema.

J.C.Daniel paid frequent visits to Trivandrum as his mind was under siege
over there. His love for both Janet and Cinema forced him to be in this city
where he had high schooling to intermediate course. But he did not go for
graduation, instead started a trading business of timber in the city. He
invested a part of his parental property in this business and gave much of his
time for research work on cinema. In fact his timber business flopped.

Daniel and Janet got married in 1924 and their first born a beautiful boy
named ‘Sundharam’ was gifted by God in 1925.Daniel winded up his
business and went on a study- tour of a world of cinema, to Chennai,
Mumbai and elsewhere. This tour took two years, i.e, from 1926 to 1928.He
visited *Nataraja Mudaliar and his studio, where the early Tamil silents were
made. Daniel had seen much of these at *Capitol cinema hall in Trivadrum
city. He was more interested in European cinema including that of Charlie
Chaplin’s films. The frequent goings to capitol cinema hall made him
 (31)
Curious about the art of film-making. His venture at Chennai was not that
successful and he went to Mumbai.

Foot Notes

*Capitol Cinema Hall: The earliest cinema house of Thiruvanthapuram.It was here that
‘Vigatha Kumaran’ was shown first and ‘Marthanda Varma’ was shown only for
once(for invited audience including the Regent queen,Sethu Parvathi Bai of
Travancore).It was located opposite to the present-day Accountant General’s Office,
adjacent to the Kerala Govt Secretariat building.

*R.Nadaraja Mudaliar (1885 to 1972) was the pioneer in Tamil Cinema. Indeed he was
the first Producer-Director and studio owner in that part of South India. His first Tamil
movie was a silent called ‘Keechaka Vadham’released in 1918.It was a film shot in 5
weeks in 1917, all the cast and crew being tamilians, released in 1918.The first silent in
South India. It was successful upon release no print available today.
Born in 1885, he was in to cycle business during 1906 and then in to car trade ever since
1911, sot up a film studio in 1915 with a second-hand ‘Williamson’ movie
camera.Keechaka Vadham was made here with intertitles in Tamil, Hindi and English.
He had made a cinema called ‘Gopal Krishna’ in 1915 prior to Keechaka Vadham but
with a few in the cast being non-Tamil .Retired from films in mid 1920s as his studio got
burnt and son killed. Passed away in 1 972.

Where he had an entry in to the studio of *Hindustan Film Company’ run by

Dadasaheb Phalke.The receptive Phalke gave good lectures and an exposure
of movie-making. Daniel was shown around the studio and even the film
being processed. He came back with a firm mind to make a motion picture.
A big part of parented property of about a hundred acres of coconut and
paddy at Neyyatinkara was sold for a sum of forty thousand British rupees.
Janet stood firmly with her husband who was venturing in to a new,
unknown field, a career that he opted ever since teenage. The first thing done
was to get registration for a Company called,* ‘The Travancore National
Pictures’, which is the first motion picture production company of
Kerala.The byelaws were all made by the pioneer film maker. The next thing
was to obtain a big building called ‘Sharada Vilasam’ and a large compound
on lease from a lawyer of pattom; Trivandrum called Adv.Nagappan
Pillai.The third thing was to set the office of the production company and a
studio in this building.
Two persons were always in support of Daniel for all these work.
 (32)
Foot Notes
• ‘The Travancore National Pictures’ is the first cinema production company in
Malayalam world of cinema. It owned the first movie studio, housed in a leased
property called ‘Sharada Vilasam’ and a compound opposite to present-day
K.P.S.C office at pattom, Thiruvananthpuram city. The building remained infact
till mid 2000s and the continuous pleas of cine historians and others to take over
the same as historic moment were rejected by the Govt of Kerala.
• ‘Hindustan Film Company’ is the venture of Dadasaheb Phalke (1870-1944).A
partnership with five big businessmen of Mumabi.Phalke entrusted the financial
matters to these partners and himself concentrated on the creative aspect. He set
up a model studio, where technicians were trained and actors mentored.

* My self as part of higher studies was an inmate of S.C.M programme centre at Pattom
between 1995 August to July 1998.I used to post my regular weekly letters back home at
the Pattom Palace .P.O,which was just a stone’s throw distance from Sharada Vilasam.

(a) Johnson of Thycaad,Trivandrum

(b) *Sunder Raj of chala,Trivandrum
Johnson was a close friend and Sundhar Raj a distant relative. The former
was a drama actor and the latter was a merchant.
Aided with the moral and physical support of these friends and also that
of his wife, Daniel plunged in to film-making. He tried for a partner to
finance for the project, but failed. The estimated cost was almost a lakh
of British ruppees.The question of story-making, film equipments, rolls
of celluloid, crew and cast remained unresolved for want of money.
Anyhow the production procedures started 1n 1928.
Daniel had a special liking for Charlie Chaplin’s first full length feature
film called ‘The Kid’ released in 1921 and shown in almost fifty
countries including Travancore by 1924.He made a story making a child,
the central character.
‘Vigatha Kumaran’ or ‘The Lost Child’ was born in the brain of Daniel
and evolved through discussions with friends. It was a social subject,
unlike most of the silents made althroughout India, the stories were all *
‘pauranic’.Ordinary humans thus became matter for cinema in India.

Foot Notes
*Sundhar Raj made the second silent in Malayalam called ‘Marthanda Varma’, in fact
it is the only silent movie print preserved in Pune N.F.A.I till date. The movie was
made in 1933, shown only once for the royal family at Capitol Cinema hall, recovered
after 40 years in 1973 and taken over by Govt of India.
* ‘Pouranic’ means related to or based upon ‘Puranas’ the age-old religions tales told
and re-told in India, purely Hindu mythology.
 (33)

The storyline was simple comparing the same to modern-day Malayalam

cinema.
Though Daniel had first thought of making a hour-long documentary on
*martial arts of Travancore for the whole world to see, know and
appreciate. But he changed his mind for a social drama first and then
makes the documentary. Daniel set forth again for a North Indian tour for
studio equipments, Celluloid and cinematograph or movie camera. This
time he had raised money from selling the remaining of his ancestral
property in *‘Agastheeswaran’.Enquiries were made in Mumbai,
Chennai and Kolkata.As a result of months of hard-work, he procured all
the equipment and celluloid from Mumabi, movie camera
(cinematograph) from Kolkata.

The prominent cinematograph models of those days were the Debrie Le

Parvo, the Moy, the Bell and Howel 2709, the Mitchell standard as well
as the Eyemo.Daniel got hold of a ‘debrie Le Parvo’ in Kolkata and
brought it to Trivandrum.This was done with the big sum of 40,000
British Indian ruppees.He purchased studio equipment and film reels
from Mumbai with a loan that he raised back at hometown.

Foot Notes

*Kanyakumari district had developed traditional form of material art called ‘adi
thadai’ or ‘Chilambattu’.This was similar to Kalaripayattu with the different of sticks
instead of sword.
Daniel had a long period of training in both kalari and Chilambattu right from early
teenage to youth. There were instructors posted at home no give him training in both.

*Agastheeswaram is in Kanyakumari, presently in Tamilnadu but was a part of

Travancore until 1957.

The production cost reached an astronimical figure of those days (one and a
half lakh British Indian ruppees) which was mobilized from selling
practically all of the ancestral property bequeathed.Inorder to proceed
further, Daniel floated shares of his company, transforming the same in to a
Private Limited Company, transforming the same in to a Private limited
company. Thousands of rupees were collected in the process in addition to
personal loans.
 (34)

The cast and crew remained the next venture. A Malaysian born
cinematographer called ‘ Lalan’ agreed to co-operate and he was brought
and lodjed.The rest of the technical work was done by Daniel
himself,Sundhar Raj,Johnson, and a odd group of local paid helpers. The
cast was made on the basis of already prepared scenario and story. Daniel
played the hero named Jayachandran,Johnson,the villain called
Bhoothanathan.Sundharam, Daniel’s first born aged 3 years palyed,the
central character, ‘ Lost Child’ a local kathakali artist filled in the role of the
villain’s friend. The story was simple. A child of a rich Nair family of
Thiruvanthapuram was kidnapped by an estate supervisor, taken to Colombo
and made to work as a slave in an estate owned by a European. The sister
and mother of the lost child spent years waiting for the same. The girl
became a full-fledged woman in a few years and she developed a love affair
with a neighbour.The young neighbour on his way to Europe was robbed in
Colombo by the same old villain. He survived with the help of the lost child
now a young man, who being a henchman of the white owner introduced the
former to the owner. They became friends. Both of them got employed at the
estate and went for a vacation to Trivandrum, where Jayachandran took the
lost child, now man to the house of Sarojini (the young sister) and her
mother received them, in due course of time Sarojini found the same old scar
on the left shoulder of the lost child-man, which was on her long lost
brother. The strange coincidence brought the long lost brother, sister and
mother together.

There after Sarojini got married to Jayachandran and they lived happily ever
after.Bhoothanathan negative interference in this re-union is also expressed.
Anyway this continued to be the story line of many movies, copies as such
for many decades.

* ‘Vigatha Kumaran’ was a social drama, nothing special about it. There
is no element of revolution in the story, but the venture was a revolution.
The casting the technical aspects of the venture etc became debate,
revolutionary in essence.
The studio and crew was ready, the cast was almost ready, but for the
lady characters. The need was for three ladies, i.e, Sarojini the heroine,
her mother and her friend. Women were not allowed to come out in to the
public domains, not to speak of artistic pursuits. It was due to two major
social realities of those times,
 (35)

(a) Women of even high castes and established families, barring a few
exceptions were considered or expected to remain within the family fold.
They were to comfort the men folk in bed, be pregnant, deliver, upbring
children and cook delicious food.
(b) Art was allowed for women of high castes, but for expression within
the familyfold, not for general public. The women of Nair-Brahmin
communities, also the kshatriyas used to get training in singing, dancing,
traditional applied arts etc. These were meant to better the family life, to
make it colourful.
Foot Notes
*’Vigatha Kumaran’ is a pure, Malyalam word. It means ‘The Lost Child’.

Art for general public expression was terribly looked down upon. Artists
were considered similar to prostitutes and art as prostitution. Europe also
experienced this dilemma but when Renaissance became widespread, much
of the inhibitions fell off. The Victorian era was indeed the last of the social
retrogression.
India remained feudal althroughout these times (16th, 17th, 18th, 19th and to
a large part of 20th century) Kerala was peculiar for the rigid social set-up
followed in the words of a man no less than Swami Vivekananda.

J.C.Daniel, owing to the advice of his supporters gave advertisement in

Mumbai newspapers for a heroine, and waited for 6 long months for a
response. A response evolved and Daniel was in Mumbai to verify the
details of the candidate. This lady belonged to Anglo-Indian community
(most of the lady artists in Mumbai were all from this community
althroughout 1920s) and so free from the inhibitions and with the aid of a
cinema manpower supplier contacted the respondent who was an Anglo-
Indian actress of Hindi-Marathi cinema, namely Miss. Lena.
Hard bargaining followed and at last Miss. Lena agreed for the venture in
return for *Five hundred British ruppees (a very large amount).Daniel came
back to Travancore with this actress and her expensive mother. The
extravaganza and severe conditions. Set by the Anglo-Indians were too
much for a gentle man and they were sent back. A large sum of rupees was
wasted for the ad, mobilization etc.
Foot Notes
*Five Hundred British Indian Rupees of 1928 is equal to INR five lakhs of 2013, taking
in to consideration of the prevailing inflation and like in price-level for essential
commodities and services over 85 years.
 (36)
The drive for the heroine was all the more difficult as Indian Cinema had
started making use of ladies in feature films only by the mid 1920s, and that
too from the Anglo-Indian community. Men used to play female characters,
remniscent of Shakespeare’s dramas. Daniel was adamant in having lady
artists as this will give realistic appearance to characters and in making a
social drama, the first of that sort in South India. It was this factor that paved
the path to a revolution in Malayalam Cinema.Johnson, his friend and a
major member of the cast was entrusted the mission to search and recruit the
female artists for the project. The man was an active drama artist and so
knew very well the nook and corner of the country side. He assured Daniel
that he will accomplish the mission.
*‘Kakkarisi Nadakam’ is a popular art form of rural Kerala and was
widespread in Thiruvananthapuram.Nedumangadu village in the district of
Thiruvanathapuram is known as the location where this art form was born. It
involves dialogues, dancing and traditional music played by backward caste
artists for backward communities. A satire of prevailing conditions like
poverty etc,played on the basis of Hindu puranas.Women were not allowed
even in this performing art inspite of the limited social reach of the same.

Foot Notes

• ‘Kakkarissi Nadakam’ is a satirical dance- drama based on puranic legends of

Shiva and Parvathi, when they took human forms as Kakkalan and Kakkathi, of a
nomadic tribe of fortune tellers. It is a popular performing art among backward
communities of Kerala.It can be seen and appreciated in the original form in
Nedumangadu of Thiruvanathapuram.The main object of this art is to make public
aware of proverty, misery and suffering of the backward communities like Paanar,
kummaalar, Ezhava and Kurava.In short it is part of Kerala’s forklore.

A girl performed in Thiruvanathapuram city suburbs. Her name was

Rosamma, earlier called Rosammal.A pulaya girl by birth but converted to
Christianity and resident of Thycaad in the city. This was due to two factors,
(a) Influence of the British missionary priest at L.M.S compound of whom
Rosammas’s Father was the cook.
(b) Influence of a dalit master of the art at Nedumangadu.

There was a lot of opposition from Kakkarisi Natakam troups as a woman

playing woman characters created a crunch for other troups of which men
did the same. The community leaders were also agitated as the women were
meant even by the backward or lower castes, only to work on field or farm
 (37)
and to give birth to children, Rosamma created revolution and still bigger,
when she acted for a Tamil drama troup in Thiruvanthapuram.
Johnson had seen and enjoyed a few of her Kakkarisi.He developed the idea
of canvassing Rosamma,getting consent of her parents and presenting her in
front of Daniel. At last Rosamma was selected to play the lead female
character two other ladies from Chala, market area. They were Kamalam and
Reena, both backward women to play the mother and mate roles.

Sundhar Raj assisted Daniel to make the studio ready with all the make-shift
arrangements. Janet was a source of moral support for all the efforts. Her
brothers also were part of the cast Sundharam, then a 3 year old child and
*Sulochana, then a 2 year old infant also were members of the cast.

Foot Notes

*Sulochana is the second child of J.C Daniel and Janet. She was born in 1926, shifted to
Madhrai after marriage in 1946 and settled there, passed away in 1985.She was also part
of the cast along with her elder brother who played the ‘Lost Child’.

Rosamma grasped gravity of the new assignment and performed her role
perfectly well. She used to come from Thycaad to Pattom almost every
morning with her lunch packed and return in the afternoon after the day’s
shoot. She even assisted in making food for the entire cast and crew, cleaned
up the studio building and the surroundings. She enjoyed freedom as a full-
fledged individual as Daniel never had a cheap mind due to his firm belief
that in cinema there is no caste helped such a mental frame to grow and
flourish.
Daniel was never a pray of feudal mental complex, inspite of all the
traditional riches of his Forefathers. This was not only because of the
western education acquired but also due to the exposure to the outer world as
part of his tours out of Travancore, to Chennai, Mumbai, Kolkata,
acquaintance with the whites, friendship with progressives, influence of the
national freedom struggle, above all the new ideas of 20th century. He was
also from a lower caste of the malayali society, a nadar,but much better
placed than Rosamma.Nadars were rich in Travancore during the first and
second, third decades of 20th century. Almost 75% of banks and other
financial establishments were owned by them.Inspite to the riches, owing to
feudal mental complex, they were looked down upon as inferior human
beings, though never treated as animals, as was the case of Pulayas and
 (38)
Kuravas.Nadars was touchable and approachable for the upper castes. Daniel
was tolerated for the cinematic project, but Rosamma, she cannot even
treated as a human being.
Morally supported by her father,Kakkarisi Master at
Nedumngadu,Johnson,Sundhar Raj,Daniel,Janet and most of the
crew,Rosamma,renamed by Daniel as ‘Rosie’ got maximum appreciation of
all as an actress who potrayed a Nair girl.

The shoot schedule of 12 days at Pattom was a period of fraternity, equality

and liberty for Rosie, which brought out the creativity of an artist. She learnt
something about everything from each and everyone at the studio. Daniel
made use of film reels at one stretch to picturize the story in a sequence. He
managed the shoot during the broad daylight, as camera, Debrie cannot
operate during night due to lack of powerful electric light.
During the night whatever was shot was processed with Lalan and Daniel
working for hours. The celluloid of Malayalam Cinema was processed
during those historic nights. The pioneer film-maker was born in those
nights. It was just like a baby born after long hours of labor, long painful
hours. We can relate the mother of this baby to the cast, crew, studio etc and
father to the will power of a big stake holder in J.C.Daniel.

The feature film was to be followed by a documentary on

traditional Travancore martial arts. The film procured was long enough for
both *Rosie’s shots were completed and a ship was chartered to embark on
the Colombo shoot. Indeed this was the first Indian film with an outdoor
shoot on a foreign overseas land. All work was completed and the Colombo
images were also processed by the end of 1929 during which the third child
of the Daniel’s Vijaya was born.

Foot Notes

Rosie was paid promptly on daily basis, five British Indian ruppees per day. All the crew
and cast were paid in this manner. Daniel was keen in paying all his people even to the
last day. The movie-making started in early 1928 and ended in the beginning of 1930.

The distributor show man was at work. Capitol cinema hall in Trivandrum
agreed to project the movie. Simultaneous efforts were made in Alappuzha,
Kollam, Trissur, Nagercoil and Madhurai for which Daniel made extensive
tours. The first distributor in Kerala of Malayalam cinema was born. Star
Theatre at Alappuzha obliged Jose Kattookaran in Trissur
 (39)
followed,Kollam.Nagarcoil,Madhurai acted in the affirmative,Thalassery
was also added to the list(one cinema hall each at
Trivandrum,Alappuzha,Kollam,Trissur,Thalassery,Nagercoil and
Madhurai),thanks to the salesman in Daniel. Capitol ranked first, as there
was only one print processed at Sharada Vilasom Studio. Capitol to be
followed by Kollam and then Allapuzha.
The office space at Sharada Vilasom became active with Daniel, Sundhar
Raj and Johnson making matter for propaganda.
*Pamphlets, hand-bills, posters etc were all designed special invitation
letters were made for the royal family, leading personalities of the city.
According to a 2003-surfaced old hand-bill, 23rd October 1930 was fixed as
the inaugural day of the film. The superb organiser and co-ordinator (Daniel
and Sundhar Raj) arranged for a week-long bullock-cart, house-cart and on
foot publicity work. All the main roads including the ones of motorised
vehicles were covered and the onfoot announcer opted for the narrow lanes
and pocket roads of Trivandrum and it’s suburbs. The propaganda literature
and invitation letters were all made in English, Malayalam and Tamil, taking
in to consideration the European-Tamilian communities to make the issue
highlighted Travancore,make it known to the outer world.

The press media was contacted and *Nasrani Deepika’ daily (forerunner of
present-day Deepika) published a report on the release of the first
Malayalam feature film on 23rd October 1930, the day of release. It was
advertised through this report as well as through the propaganda literature
that the first show at Capitol Cinema will be at 06.30 pm on 23rd October
and this will be preceded by a special inaugural function.Malloor Govindha
Pillai, a prominent lawyer and political figure in Trivandrum was to
inaugurate.

Foot Notes

• ‘Nasrani Deepika’ was a prominent Malayalam daily owned by the Catholic

Church.Shri: Gopinath, a prominent stage actor and later a cine actor who was
part of ‘Balan’, the first Malayalam talkie wrote an article which was published.
Daniel had a rapport with Shri: Gopinath and many such persons of the world of
art.

Rosamma and her parents were informed to be present at Capitol on the

particular day at the right appointed hour. There were two shows, the
 (40)
inaugural at 06.30 pm and then the other at 09.30 pm.In those days, there
were only two shows taking in to consideration the trading, farming and
other activities during the day.
The function was much trumpeted Daniel’s men led by Sundhar Raj created
a wave of publicity. A crowd collected for the great event. Daniel, his crew
and cast, Johnson and Sundhar Raj, Janet and children, all collected at
Capitol. Rosie or Rosamma and her parents also reached in time.Malloor
Govindha Pillai arrived, the local landlords, Nair social leaders, Brahmins of
east fort-Trivandrum, all arrived for the wonder of 19th century in
Malayalam to happen. Though a silent, the story was on the malayali
society, the narrator was ready.

Something untoward happened before 06.30pm as Pulayas were not allowed

at such occasions in a public place, some of the local upper caste men
strongly objected the entry of Pulaya Christian converts in to the Cinema
hall. Rosie and her parents. The cinema making at Pattom had attracted
some public attention, message was spread that a Pulaya girl and two other
low caste women are part of the first Malayalam movie. The presence of the
same at the cinema hall vicinity ignited the minds of the already agitated.
There was havoc and the same was put to rest when the first heroine of
Malayalam cinema was asked to wait outside the hall and present herself
once all the local upper caste aristocrats’ disaapear.But that was not to be.

The inaugural function was splendid but the movie projected was not well
received.Sarojini appeared on screen and then disruption started. A pulaya as
Nair on screen, what a contradiction, what a tragedy, No, this cannot be
tolerated. The upper caste men started making loud noise, they threw their
sandals, at the screen, some even pelted stones, some spitted.Rosamma and
parents were chased out of the Capitol vicinity. The show was disrupted.
There was a hue and cry. Daniel’s dreams began to falter. His intention of
selling the motion picture started to downplay. All his assets, loans from
friends, shares floated, were at stake. His courage and hard work was not at
all respected by a conservative society. The following day also had two
shows, but the same disturbance got repeated. The movie was taken back on
the 4th day.
The optimism of the pioneer forced him to set forth for Alappuzha, where
his commitment with the star theatre commenced. The movie was tolerated
there and shown for 2 weeks. The experiences at Kollam, Trissur and
Thalassery were similar to that in Trivandrum.The problem at these places
 (41)
was not Pulaya or Nair, but a woman, a native woman on screen(white
women, Anglo-Indian and European,Tamilians were all tolerated) was too
much to accept.Madhurai and Nagercoil with good malayali inhabitants did
not fetch good results owing to lack of effective propaganda
campaign.Tamilians could not follow the movie due to lack of proper
narration in their language.
The Pulaya factor in Trivandrum, gender factor in Kollam, Trissur, and
Thalassery, language factor and propaganda factor in Nagarcoil and
Madhurai forced Daniel to take back his creation from the market in a matter
of two months. Two years of resource mobilization, two years of study, and
two years of creation, all ended in two months. It all started with a bang and
ended in a whimper. This is the irony of fate. A pioneer huddled up in a
debt-trap. The prompt decent gentleman paid off most of the debt. All the
gold of Janet were sold, some remaining assets were sold, the studio
equipments,debriele Parvo sold, the lease agreement with Nagappan Pillai
broken, Daniel and family fell off with friends and relatives, left for
Madhurai with some money to settle down.
Rosie was hunted as a stray dog, her parents had to suffer social boycott. She
ran away to an unknown destination out of fear of getting killed. It is
believed that she was rescued from an angry mob by a truck driver who took
her to Thirunelveli and married her. Nobody had ever heard anything of her
since that. The heroine, first heroine of Malayalam cinema actually became
the ‘lost woman’.
What a fate, this was typical, for all *feudal mental complex prevailing then,
to an extent prevailing even today in disguise.
Foot Notes

* Feudal mental complex of malayali society is the reflection of the feudal economy that
prevailed in the same ever since the early century A.D.Thousands of years practising
profession-based social status, strict division of labor devoid of dignity, local
market,landlordism,kings maintained by the landlords, a dalit majority illiterate running
the agrarian production, a literate minority of upper castes, advent of western education,
Christian missionary influence, conversion to Christianity from A.D 52 onwards, British
supremacy over Travancore,Mlabar and Kochi.Industrial revolution effected in all these
territories, Partial liberation of feudally chained work-force, modern schools and colleges
etc.All these on one side, the malayali renaissance movements starting with that of the
first agrarian dalit strike in 1912 led by Ayyankali and flourishing in 1920s and
1930s,influence of the congress activities and communist party work almost broke the
feudal system, the age-old feudal system. But the feudal mental complex continued
owing to the hang-overs of the past. This prevailed throughout 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, and
even in 1970s.It disappeared in 1980s but took another form very recently.
 (42)
It is needless to state that even in 2013, we do not have a Pulaya born
heroine in the Malayalam cinema. The so-called low castes, the adivasis and
the downtrodden seldom thrive and survive in this realm of art. Cinema is
considered the arena of glamour, money and all the pomp related. I will be
dealing the matter in a separate full-fledged chapter.Daniel, whose adoration
and allegiance to the art of cinema lost all his riches, affluence and social
status, simply because he sponsored a cine project with a woman, a dalit
woman. Revolution affected in that art not through the storyline picturised
but through the social interactions in the background. He never declared a
caste-less or class-less society through the medium, but silently conveyed
the message in working hard for the project mobilizing all available material
as well as human resource that came in his way. He never distinguished his
cast or crew on the basis of their birth, origin, social status, colour, creed,
caste or even sex.Art was a medium for him, a genuine career, efforts
humane and output was the movie.

The financial loss incurred was terrible. All the * efforts were respected and
paid, unlike the general trend in cinema industry. He took all the risks,
departed a panper, but never cheated anyone even for a single paisa. The
victim of the so-called feudal mental complex of malayali chose to run away
from friends,relatives,aquaintances and bid good-bye to Travancore.This
was in early 1931 and the family with Janet,Sundharam,then 6 years
old,Sulochana,then 5 years old and infant,Vijaya,then 3 years old led by a
fallen man re-instated in Madhurai under rented lodging. Initially his mind
was blank, depressed to the core, the man almost retired from social life.

Foot Notes

In the hour of peril and acute financial loss, Janet, Johnson and Sundhar Raj were the
only human beings who stood firmly with Daniel.
Johnson remained in Trivandrum and continued with his dramatics.Sundhar Raj
continued in business as a merchant cum trader at Chala market. He learnt a lot from his
friend cum mentor, and so within a year of Daniel disappearance, started with a cinema
project, ‘Marthanda Varma’ as a motion picture based on C.V Raman Pillai’s novel was
released in 1933.
Sundhar Raj, Johnson and Janet who remained loyal to their mentor, friend and what not,
till death are infact the assets of the Pioneer. Another material asset remained with him
till 1943 and that was the only print (Celluloid reels) of Vigatha Kumaran,which was
destroyed and burnt in 1943.He used to preserve it in trunk and carry the same
everywhere he shifted with family(Madhurai,Rajapalayam,Nagercoil).
 (43)
A relative advised Daniel to learn a medical course and enter medical
profession, as all his forefathers were medical practitioners, most of the
relatives were also in the same field.Dr.N.J.Daniel was the chief medical
officer in Travancore Health department,i.e, the most important medical man
in Travncore during the first and second decades of 20th century. Daniel
found sense in this advise and he opted for dentistry. He left for Mumbai in
mid 1932 and got admission in to a dental college of the city.Learnt dentistry
for 2 years and came back in 1934 end as a qualified dental surgeon.

Janet and the same relative mentioned put forth a novel idea of investing
some money and start a clinic, a dental clinic in Madhurai.A loan was
allowed by the relative who became the creditor and a clinic was opened in a
rented space by the early months of 1935.An expert dental surgeon acquired
tremendous practise and clients in a matter of a year. The said loan was
repayed and a fresh clinic opened at Nagercoil in mid 1936 and yet another
one at Agastheeswaram at the end of 1937.All the three clinics were
performing well and the dentist bought a car in early 1938, made some good
savings. The Daniel’s moved in to a big house on rent at Madhrai and the
elder children (Sundharam, Sulochana, Vijaya and * Lalitha) were admitted
in to best school Madhurai.The youngest child, Harris was born in 1936.The
Pioneer earned money from hard work and a good standard of living was
achieved as a result of dental surgery work from1935 to 1938.The dentist
commanded good deal of respect from the local people.

Foot Notes

*Lalitha the fourth child was born to Daniels in 1932.Later on she was married to a Govt
secretary at Trivandrum.where they settled down. She is still alive.
(44)
CHAPTER-4
P.U.CHINNAPPA, AGASTHEESWARAM, HARRIS

The first talkie in Malayalam cinema was released in 1938, namely ‘Balan’,a
story almost similar to that of ‘Vigatha Kumaran’.It was the tenth year of
Daniel’s pioneership.A project of a malayali called *A.Sundharam Pillai
based on a short story titled, ‘Vidhiyum Mrs:Nairum’was hijacked mid-way
by T.R.sundharam of Salem and his cinema production company called,
‘Modern theaters’. A new director from Mumbai called *S.Nottani and a
dramatist of Kayamkulam,*Muthukulam Rghavan Pillai and renamed the
project as ‘Balan’ more about it in a separate chapter.

Foot Notes

*A.Sundharam Pillai is actually the pioneer of Malayalam talkie motion pictures.

Employed in a shipping company after graduation, he developed links with a movie
studio at Colombo. He invested all his savings and founded ‘Kairala talkie films
Company’, wrote a screenplay called ‘Vidhiyum Mrs. Nairum’based on a Charles
Dickens novel, selected his cast and tried for a crew, but failed owing to money
problems. He advertised in ‘The Hindu’ at Chennai for a producer T.R.Sundharan
responded, later on ousted Sundharam Pillai and renamed the movie as ‘Balan’.

*S.Nottani was the Mumbai born film director who directed the first and second talkies
of Malayalam Cinema (Balan in 1938 and Jnanambika in 1940).A Parsee and an expert
employed with ‘Bombay Talkies’, recruited by T.R.Sundharam in 1936,when the latter
founded his film company called ‘Modern Theaters’ at Salem. He directed two Tamil
talkies for Sundharan and then ‘Balan’, the first Malayalam talkie. Ousted from films, he
returned to Mumbai and later on became a famous garments business man .His brand
‘Liberty Garments’ became world famous.

*Muthukulam Raghavan Pillai is a famous actor and script writer in dramas and early
Malayalam talkies. In fact this Kayamkulam actor wrote the story and screenplay of
‘Balan’ from the story and script of Sundharam Pillai.Active till late 1950s.Abandoned
by cinema and died a poor man after prolonged illness in 1978.

The successful dentist ran three clinics, but himself settled at Madhurai, as
the police chief there, Shri: Deva Sahayam being a relative. He developed
strong contacts and influencial friends at Madhurai.*Meyyappa Chettiar, the
famous Tamil film producer of these days and the man who started the
A.V.M Studio in 1945, was a friend of Daniel. He used to dispatch free
cinema tickets to Daniel’s clinic at the wake of his feature films
 (45)
release.Harris, youngest son of the Daniels remniscenced recently in a
Malayala Manorama daily interview that Meyyappa Chettiyar was one of his
late Father’s closest friends at Madhurai during the period, i.e, from 1938 to
1943.There were others also in the list who used to be Daniel’s patients or
clients.*P.U.Chinnappa, the second most popular star in early Tamil cinema
(next only to *T.R Mahalingam) was a patient as well as friend. It was this
friendship that brought about the downfall of J.C.Daniel.

Foot Notes

*Meyappa Chettiyar is known as the owner of A.V.M studio. He started producing films
in 1930 and it was in 1945 that A.V.M studio, one of the oldest studios still operational
was founded.
* P.U.Chinnappa, born in 1916, shot up in fame as second only to T.R.Mahalingam,
mega star in early Tamil cinema. A prominent drama artist of 1930s, handled many
breath-taking characters in 1940s, became very famous during this period. Passed away at
the young age of 36 in 1952.Chinnappa used to perform adventurous feats depicting
action-oriented characters in films.

*T.R .Mahalingam (1923 to 1978).He was actor, singer and music composer in Tamil
cinema very famous in 1940s and 1950s.Drama artist turned Cine star. Got a chance in
motion pictures for the first time in 1937 at the age of 14.

*M.K.Thyagareja Bhagavathar (1901 to 1959) also called M.K.T, was a Tamil actor, film
producer and Carnatic music singer. He is considered the most successful film
personality, earliest star. Started his artistic career as a classical singer and stage actor in
late 1920s.He entered films in 1934 and is acknowledged by critics and cine historians as
the ‘first super star of Tamil cinema’.

The fame earned through roaring dental practice got him an entry in the
public sector, joined Govt dental service in 1940; he practiced at Karaikudi
Govt dental hospital and later at Puthukotai Govt dental clinic. This was in
addition to his private practice at Madhurai, Nagarcoil and Agastheeswaram.

The influence of national freedom struggle was also evident in Daniel. He

used to be a strong follower of Gandhiji and a member of the congress. A
staunch supporter of Khadi movement and the Hindi language, he had two
charkhas at home and used to spin khaddar cloth as a pastime. Encouraged
Janet to learn Hindi and she qualified at three exams conducted by ‘Hindi
Prachara Sabha’ at Madhurai.
 (46)
He supported both the Gandhian as well as the revolutionaries at
Madhurai.He never missed the speech of national and provincial congress
leaders. Himself never had the habit of liquor, was supportive of Gandhian
prohibition of liquor.
The revolutionaries were given secret refuge at the Madhurai clinic, which
was observed by the C.I.D.Thanks to the timely support of *Deva Sahayam,
the police chief of Madhurai, Daniel was never harassed or framed.

Foot Notes

• Deva Sahayam was a relative to Daniel, he was the S.P at Madhurai in British
period, in late 1930s and early 1940s.Ever after independence he became I.G of
police in the entire state of Madras.

A supporter of women liberation, he taught Janet motor car driving. Indeed

she is the first lady car driver in Madhurai.Thus the Daniels were living a
complete life during the period, 1935 to 1943.

The frequent visits of P.U.Chinnappa destroyed the beauty of this life. The
cine star of Tamil filmdom was a heartthrob of many including that of
Daniel’s children. The frequent cinema shows had an impact on the
pioneer’s mind. The technology, scope, art and reach of talkies all around
the world had a strong influence on Daniel. He nursed the idea of venturing
in to talkies.Chinnappa ignited this thought with an assurance that he will
co-operate both as an actor and as a financing partner. This assurance was
too much for a spirited innocent Daniel to venture. Ultimately in the begning
of 1943, he shifted Janet and children to Neyyantinkara, collected all the
savings from his roaring dental practice for the period (early 1935 to 1942
ends), closed down all the three clinics and set off to Madras.

The cinema world was different, totally different than the family fraternity
that he formed back in 1928.There were no Johnsons and Sundhar Rajs, nay;
there was no love and mutual respect. Rosie was no longer the lady artist.
Madras posed a filmdom based on mutual mistrust, greed for money and
fame.
Chinnappa introduced Daniel to the vices of Madras, blackmailed him and
got hold of all the hard-earned money, which was badly required for some
other project. Daniel was cheated, he could not do anything to recover the
money. The star of Tamil cinema was omnipotent and the foolish dentist was
powerless and pennyless.
 (47)
He wandered in Madras for a few months trying to make contacts. His
friends like Mayyappa Chettiar were of no help in that juncture.

A defeated pauper returned to Madhurai and from there to Neyyantinkara

where Janet and children were sent a year back. This was in 1943 end.

*Harris was a boy of 6 and half years. He being the youngest, was the
darling of all, of all the elder siblings (Sundharam, Sulochana, Vijaya and
Lalitha).He found his father depressed and huddled up at home. The car
which took him to school and cinema, for outings, was no longer available.
The film reels treated as a treasure by his father had become a major source
of joy and amusement in the latter’s long absence. The Celluloid images
showing his brother and eldest sister were burnt as a token of sweet revenge
for their strictness at home, some portions were exchanged for his hero’s
(P.U.Chinnappa) photos provided by friends. What a contradiction. The star
image of Chinnappa was that high in Tamil society that a 6 year old used to
treasure his photos, the man who destroyed the pioneer of Malayalam
cinema. This is one facet of cinema magic.
Foot Notes
*Harris Daniel born in 1936 is still alive. He retired as an administrative officer from
L.I.C, settled at Salem along with children and wife.

The remaining portions of the reels were destroyed in pursuit of a

typewriting sound effect by trampling and hand-twisting of the sweat, toil
and dream, the blood of the pioneer.
Thus that which should have been preserved in cold storage, being nitrate
material, of a big Govt film archive, was burnt, damaged and lost in
1943.Daniel preserved it in poverty and riches for a period of 13 years(1930
to 1943).He could not have managed to do anything more.
*Lalitha Henry, youngest daughter of Daniel commented in the mentioned
Malayala Manorama daily interview(early March 2013)that she along her
brother (Harris) burnt and damaged their father’s treasure, without knowing
the historical archival value of the same.
Foot Notes
*Lalitha Henry, born in 1932 is still alive, settled at Thiruvanathapuram city. Her late
husband was a Govt secretary and children are all in Thiruvanthapuram .Janet Daniel was
staying with her at Trivandrum ever since Daniel passed away in April 1975.Janet was
allowed pension by Kerala Govt in 1992 and she passed away in 1993 at Lalith’s house.
Janet was buried at L.M.S church compound the same compound, where her father, Joel
Singh was librarian of the L.M.S books centre.
 (48)

Depressed and defeated, Daniel practised dentistry at Neyyatinkara from

1944 onwards and later they all shifted to Agastheeswaram.The dental
practice at Neyyatinkara from 1944 to 1961(17years) was never lucrative
when compared to the earlier golden period. But the dentist managed to pull
on with home expenses, gave education to children, married off all the three
daughters.
They shifted to the ancestral house at Agastheeswaram in late 1961 and an
attempt was made to re-open the clinic there. The effort failure with in a few
months, as the dentist could not control his mind, his trembling hands,
cheated him just like the malayali feudal mental complex and the star in
P.U.Chinnappa.
Daniel ended his dentistry career in mid-1962 which started in early 1935
and slowly got bed-ridden owing to nervous problems. His eye-sight
dwindled and except Janet all the five children went their way to build their
life. (Sulochana,Vijaya and Lalitha with husband of each in distant
Madhurai,Tirunalveli and Trivandrum).Sundharam (lost child artist) after his
past graduation went to Sri Lanka where he joined the British-run Trinity
college at Kandy as a lecturer in 1948.Harris joined L.I.C after graduation
and settled in Salem after marriage(after a brief stay at Trivandrum) in 1965.
The sick, old Daniels were all alone in mid 1960s.They were accommodated
in a portion of the ancestral house at Agastheeswaram ever since 1961.His
youngest brother who owned the house was far away settled at Chennai, put
the portion at his disposal till death free of cost.

The ailing couple survived only with the meagre funds sent by their children,
especially by Sundharam, the first-born. The money was not enough for
subsistence as a good deal of it was used up for medical purpose. Janet
nursed her husband who got paralyzed in early 1973 with an already failing
eyesight.

A young man from Cherthala re-discovered them in 1968.He tried to

reinstitute them in history. A lot was written and published about them. The
struggle continued even after Daniel’s death in 1975 and at last in 1992, the
Govt of Kerala acknowledged the services of the pioneer, declared him to be
the father of Malayalam cinema, Janet was allowed a pension which she
accepted till her death in 1993.Justice was done, belated justice.
(49)
CHAPTER-5
CHELANGATTU GOPALAKRISHNAN

Malayalam cinema unlike world cinema lacked the strong supportive

element of cinematic journalism, and thus a proper historical evaluation.
There was never adequate journalism and archiving. The stars maintained an
army of paid propagandists who wrote and championed for their masters.
This was unfortunately done in the name of cinema journalism. Lobbies and
cancus controlled and financed these petty paid propagandists. Indian
cinema as a whole due to the initiative of Nehru and many others was
fortunate enough to have the Pune, Film Institute from 1961 and the
National Archives (N.F.A.I, National Film Archive of India) from 1964 as
part of it. It was this that encouraged a sort of film journalism and history
preservation in Indian cinema world.

Malayalam cinema never had a strong trend of historical evaluation, critical

appreciation of the art, creative journalistic approach.Inspite of that
individual took up the said mission out of their commitment to society and
history. It was challenge to do independent research without falling in line
with this or that lobby or cancus.A young journalist called Chelangattu
Gopalakrishnan born in 1932 at Cherthala.Educated at Cherthala Govt Boys
High School and Alappuzha S.D College, the journalist was born while
working for famous journals like malayali and Deenabandhu.He preferred to
write about cinema and became what Adoor Gopalakrishnan,the pride of
Malayalam cinema acclaimed as the first journalist cum historian of
Malayalam cinema.

The journalist cum historian did not stop writing and publishing write-
ups.He went ahead as a truth- seeker and a revivalist, became the promoter
of the first film studio in Kerala(In co-operative sector).it was called
*‘Ajantha Studio’ at Aluva.This was in 1958 and it functioned for 10-12
years.Chelangattu Gopalakrishnan who was the secretary of the studio lost
all his family property when the same was attached by the Govt of Kerala
due to the debt that accumulated as per the lease agreement. Hence the
young man was also a pioneer, an experimentalist, a risk- taker just like the
man at Agastheeswaram.He continued to be a fighter and a writer till death
on June 4th 2010.
 (50)
Foot Notes

*Ajantha Studio: A brave pioneering initiative to create the required infra structure on co-
operative basis for men of genuine art to create good cinema. It was an effort to liberate
film-making from the moneyed class, to make a firm foundation for proper cinema with
Govt initiative or in co-operative sector with Govt support. It was in 1957 that the first
elected ministry of Kerala came in to being.Alleppey Vincent, the stage film actor who
played villain character in the first Malayalam talkie, ‘Balan’,approached
T.V.Thomas,the Industries Minister of E.M.S Namboodiripad,the then C.M.The two old
classmates and friends met and discussed the need of a public sector film studio.
Decisions were taken, land was acquired and leased out at Aluva on the banks of
Periyar.The studio was established in Co-operative sector with shares floated in market.
This was done in 1959 and Alleppey Vincent had a staunch supporter from
Cherthala.Chelangattu Gopalakrishnan remained secretary of the registered co-operative
society called ‘Kerala co-operative cine society limited’, Aluva.Alleppey Vincent was the
president. The shares worth Rs: 10/- to Rs: 100/- were sold in market and a studio was
founded called ‘Ajantha Studio’. It functioned for 10-12 years. Several classic movies
likes ‘Olavum Theeravum’ and ‘Periyar’ were shot at this studio. Due to lack of work,
the studio stopped to function, the lease agreement was not respected. The Govt of Kerala
attached all property of Vincent and Chelangattu and sold off the assets to a third party.

Chelangattu was a member of many Governmental Committees related to

cinema. The State film awards committee, public sector film studios
committee, state chalachithra advisory committee are a few of them. Wrote
and published almost 77 books including 25 on cinema and 2000 articles for
various journals. Some of the best child literature, novels, and short stories
are part of his creativity. The most authentic books on Malayalam cinema,
Indian cinema and World cinema are all products of this genius
mind.Prof:S.Gupthan Nair had also acknowledged the quality and
authenticity of this man’s works.
It was due to sheer coincedence that myself came across this particular
name. It was in September 2012 that I came across a book titled ‘Annathe
Nayikamar’ at D.C Books depot in the heart of Kochi.It was a small book
with concise chapters on early heroines of Malayalam cinema. The names
like P.K.Rosie, Lalithambika, Devaki Bai, M.K.Kamalam, Neyyatinkara
Kamalam, Miss.Kumari or Thresyamma, and the ones of late 1970s like
Unni Mary attracted my attention. I went through almost a quarter of the
book and then curiously read the bio data of the author. It was a man called
‘Chelangattu Gopalakrishnan’ a new name for a history researcher like me.
 (51)
The gripping, heart-breaking narrations really brought tears to my eyes,
especially the story of P.K.Rosie, the first heroine and that of
M.K.Kamalam, the heroine of the first Malayalam talkie movie, ‘Balan’.

I went through the author’s profile with an intention to contact him at the
earliest, but at the end of which it was mentioned that he passed away on 4th
of June 2010.I was depressed but tried to collect the whereabouts of the man
from Google and also from D.C Books. Whatever inform action collected
was filed and kept apart. Myself was at the verge of unemployment and was
vigorously trying for a job-change. Procured the same and was totally in to it
and handling homely affairs. Time and situation never surfaced for an
indepth analysis. It happened on 22nd February of the current year when I
saw ‘Celluloid’, the feature film of Kamal.Chelangattu Gopalakrishnan once
again entered my mind and conscience.Sreenivasan played the character of
the prolific truth seeker. There on the silver screen J.C.Daniel was shown re-
discovered by Chelangattu.It was in 1966 followed by a two year long
search for the Pioneer in Neyyatinkara as well as in Trivandrum city. At last
in 1968, the meeting took place and a long drawn crusade for justice started.

A crusade for 24 years, it was only in 1992 that Kerala Government

officially approved the pioneer, declared him really the pioneer of
Malayalam cinema. What promoted the man to do it? The journalist in him,
the historian or the human being. I think it is a blend of all these, mixed in
the most scientific propotion that gave him the courage, energy, patience and
initiative for such a historical movement. According to Chelangattu, only
two individuals gave him the required moral support for the struggle. They
are *P.Subramaniam, and *Adoor Gopalakrishnan.These people encouraged
him to seek truth. All the toil was in his own expense, on his own hard
earned money inspite of losing all property in ‘Ajantha Studio Crisis’.
Travels and communications were made, mostly devoid of modern
amenities. Imagine late 1960s, when there was no proper motor road in to
the interior of the mainland, no widespread tele communications, no cell
phone, no laptop computer, no internet, and no pager, nothing of that sort.
The pursuit of young Chelangattu was three-fold,
(a) to make historical re-approachment
(b) to enforce Govt recognition officially
(c) to help and support the pioneer
 (52)
Foot Notes

• P.Subramanian is the founder of Merryland studio, one of the most important

studios mentioned in Malayalam film history. He was a businessman influenced
in the Travancore princely state administration ever since C.P Ramaswami Iyer
became Dewan of Travancore in 1935.He in fact turned to motion picture
production with the support of C.P Ramaswami Iyer and produced the third talkie
film in Malayalam cinema, called ‘Prahlada’.It was actually financed by the
Travancore royal family, but Sir.C.P got Subramaniam’s name publicised as the
producer. The Queen (Sethu Parvathi Bai) was reluctant to give publicity to
herself as a cinema producer. Though Subramaniam entered cinema by accident,
he continued as a successful trader cum contracter.He was the sole distributor of
rice and sugar in Trivandrum during the Second World War.
It was in 1941, that ‘Prahlada’ was released and it was only after 10 years that he
ventured for a film studio in 1951, namely ‘Merryland studio’, produced 52 feature films,
out of which directed 40 movies.
He always supported newcomers and was never subservient to superstars.
*Adoor Gopalakrishnan is one of the few, very few Indian film makers who are known to
the world.

In his biography of J.C.Daniel,titled ‘J.C.Danielinte Katha’ published a year

after his death in June 2010,it is clearly mentioned that in 1966 May at
K.S.R.T.C bus station,Thampanoor Daniel passed his way but was not able
to make an encounter. An old man in white full sleeve shirt and mundu, with
headgear and an overcoat boarded a K.SR.T.C bus plying to Nagercoil and
went away. Somebody seated in the waiting shed commented that it is an old
film maker who lost all wealth making a film. The journalist enquired of his
name and got the reply that he is J.C.Daniel.It was not an easy enquiry, as
the name of the man was retrieved indirectly from a third party taking more
than a week.
Chelangattu Gopalakrishnan did all these as a freelancer, not as part of his
official commitment towards ‘Malayali’ the journal for which he was,
working at that time. He got Daniel’s address and other whereabouts and set
forth to Kanyakumari district which was part of Travancore till 1949 and
then of Thiru-Kochi province till 1956, became a part of Madras State
(Tamilnadu) ever since the province of Kerala was born.
J.C.Daniel and Janet had settled down in a portion of the ancestral house at
Agastheeswaram in Kanyakumari ever since 1962.Daniel had stopped his
Dental practise by then, owing to health problems and life was limping with
irregular money sent by Sundharam (Vigatha Kumaran or Lost child artist)
from Sri Lanka.All the five children were in five different distant places. A
knock at the door prompted the couple to open the closed doors. This was a
 (53)
pleasant noon of 1968.A young man in his mid 30s was seen. He introduced
himself and the old man asked him come inside. Hours of hearty talk
followed. The journalist was paralysed, the historian remained a passive
listener, a son listened to parents, and this was the style adopted.Chelangattu
experienced great excitement on one side and sorrow at the other side.
Excitement due to the rarity of achievement that being a student of cinema, a
journalist and a historian, he got the unique opportunity to show to the world
that the Father of Malayalam Cinema is alive. He had written once before
about Daniel in ‘Malayali’ and was attacked by many for the fiction. Critics
and even the so-called cine historians denied the ever existence of such a
man and such a motion picture. It was only P.Subramaniam who had seen
both the pioneer and the movie, encouraged the young man to venture.

Daniels explained their life starting from their childhood to the fallen life at
Agastheeswaram.The living quarters were having a foul smell and this was
the telling effect of the pathetic condition in which they were living in their
late sixties. A small celluloid reel with a few stills of Vigatha Kumaran, a 2
paged script about the shoot and a hand bill pertaining to the propaganda
done were the only remains of the pioneership.These were shown to the
guest. The only evidence to prove a historical event.

Chelangattu departed with a promise that he will do his level best to get
them justice (financial support of Govt,historical position and respect from
society).He couldn’t do much on individual basis as he was a pauper who
lost all wealth due to the ‘Ajantha Studio Crisis’ at that time.J.C.Daniel
blessed him which filled a thrill inexplicable. He was being blessed by the
father of Malayalam cinema, a tiny tot blessed by a grand old man, a kinder
Garten student blessed by the university vice-chancellor. It gave a lot of
energy and inspiration in the hard and lone struggle ahead that extended to a
period of 24 years (1968 to 1992).

The reporter-correspondent of ‘Malayali’ back in Kerala had a very difficult

time ahead. His promise to write, propagate and lobby for the Daniels
remained intact. He wrote a report of his meeting with the Father of
Malayalam cinema and got it published in a week-end edition, taking
advantage of the absence of the chief editor, *Shri: Kuttanad Ramakrishnan
Pillai, who was a strong proponent of the official stand that ‘Balan’ released
in 1938 is the first Malayalam feature film and so T.R Sundharam of Salem
is the Father of Malayalam cinema. The authoritative write-up of
 (54)
Chelangattu in support of an earlier article. The findings of the firebrand
correspondent in 1968 were in conjunction with a decision declared by him
at a sitting, of the executive committee meeting of ‘Kerala Film Chamber of
Commerce’, the sole statutory body of Kerala Govt on cinema, in 1963.

It was a one-man army struggle in 1963 against the Chamber’s decision to

observe the 25th anniversary of Malayalam cinema on the precondition that it
was in 1938 that the first feature film released (25 years in 1963).He
challenged with what all evidence collected and declared that he will find
out J.C.Daniel as well as Sundhar Raj who made the first feature film in
1928(released in 1930) and the second film in 1932(released in 1933)
respectively. That was a challenge put up against the chamber as well as the
Kerala Govt.

A glimpse of Daniel in 1966 and then the meeting with the man at
Agastheeswaram, all happened to prove the challenge raised in
1963.Malayali published an article of Chelangattu sometime between 1963
and 1966 on his belief. In 1968, this belief was corroborated with more
evidence as a result of direct meeting with the man who fathered cinema in
Kerala.The struggle was initiated in 1963, precisely speaking, but was
intensified since 1968, grew in to manifold proportion in 1970s and reached
the peak in 1980s, when a few others also took up the mission.

Chelangattu, a pauper in late 1960s and early 1970s, was with meagre
resources to pull on with his individual existence. The Govt of Kerala had
attached all his savings and landed property to make up for the loss incurred
due to the lease agreement being negated, the ‘Kerala co-operative cine
society’ which ran the ‘Ajantha Studio’ failed to pay off long-drawn dues for
the lease acquired.Chelangattu Gopalakrishnan was a pennyless when he
ventured in to the Daniel case.

It is known in history that at all times only those individuals with a lot of
financial and other problems have ventured in to truth, taken risks for
society. We will not find even a single instance of a well-to-do individual
done any adventurous feat for society .The wealthy and the so-called
successful have always been allergic to society they have turned their back
at noble causes. The Indian national freedom struggle, an event of greatest
significance in our country’s history had won only because of the
 (55)
Involvement of millions of poor and the middle class with great many
personal and financial problems.

Chelangattu, the lone crusader, the lobbyist for the most unknown man in
cinema world, was having that conviction, that courage and that cultural
stamina, which won the laurel in 1992.
He sent the ‘Malayali issue’ of a week-end edition in 1968 to
Agastheeswaram and when ‘Chalachithra Vyavasayam Keralathil’,his book
was published with a full chapter on J.C.Daniel,vigatha kumaran,Sundhar
Raj,Marthanda Varma and all those connected with the efforts. This book
was also sent to Agastheeswaram.
The publication of report on Agastheeswaram visit when brought to the
notice of the chief editor, in fact generated a memo of punishment transfer to
Chelangattu,though at first it was an informal dismissal from ‘Malayali’.The
punishment transfer to Ernakulam was the first response of the official
circles to Chelangattu’s findings. They were not prepared to verify the
findings, precisely as well as obviously speaking, they were afraid of truth.
The official stand of the Government was widely accepted by the general
public as well as by the cinema world.

The task taken up by resourceless young Chelangattu Gopalakrishnan was

almost impossible achieve accomplishment and thus dismissed by many as
an opium eater’s day dream. It was herculian and demanded a lot of time,
energy and patience. The three-front struggle
(a)Front opened to Government of Kerala
(b)Front opened to Cinema world
(c) Front opened to media world

The ‘Malayali’ report was immediately followed by dozens of write-ups in

almost all the cinema-culture columns of South Indian Journals most of
these were met with acute criticism and scorn.Chelangattu was at the verge
of unemployment, but he remained true to the promise given to the pioneer.
Somehow the case became a subject of debate first in journals and then in
society.
*C .Achutha Menon ministry that came to power in Kerala with support of
congress began genuine efforts to upgrade and develop Malayalam cinema.
A*committee of cinema scholars, historians, artists headed by Malayattoor
Ramakrishnan who was the Govt secretary in charge of art and culture. This
was in late 1969.Chelangattu was also a member.
 (56)

Foot Notes

*Samsthana Chalachithra upadeshaka Samithi’ was the first Govt initiative to solve
problems and crisis in Malayalam cinema industry. It was formed in 1970.It is also called
Malayattoor Ramakrishnan committee.

*It was in September 1970 that the coalition of congress and C.P.I faced fresh general
elections, though Achutha Menon was heading a non-Marxist party coalition ministry
ever since November 1st 1969.The united front led by Achutha Menon won the general
election and assumed office on October 04th 1970, with congress support from outside.
Formally congress entered the same on September 25th 1971.K.Karunakaran became the
Home Affairs Minister with additional charge of cultural and Arts Affairs. The Ministry
continued till March 1977(Achutha Menon ministry from November 1969 to August
1970, then from October 1970 to March 1977, totally almost 8 years.)

The first sitting itself was a site of contradiction, struggle and extreme
arguments. Almost the entire committee supported Malayattoor’s opinion
that ‘Balan’ is the first feature film of Malayalam cinema and
T.R.Sundharam, the father of Malayalam cinema. A dissenting voice was of
course included in the minites, but singled out, ruled out.Malayattoor
negated the historical argument that a silent movie cannot be considered a
full fledged feature film of a language cinema. The counter argument that
Dadasaheb Phalke made a silent named ‘Raja Harischandra’,released in
1913 is acknowledged by the Govt of India as the first Indian feature film,
almost put the I.A.S officer in a fit of rage. He shouted, screamed and
howled, all of our fear of being beaten, frawned at harsh truth. The other
committee members involved and managed to put out the fire. The report
was submitted and published with Malayattoor’s opinion as a foreword that
Malayalam cinema was born in 1938 with ‘Balan’ and T.R.Sundharam, the
father of Malayalam cinema. Bureaucratic arrogance, fear of truth,
obstinancy for the prevailing official stand, lack of energy to research, above
all the malayali feudal mental complex succeeded.
Achutha Menon ministry constituted *another committee for studying the
possibility of a film studio in public sector.K.Karunakaran, the then Home
Minister with additional charge of cultural affairs chaired the first sitting of
the said committee.Chelangattu of Ajantha Studio episode, with all his
studio experiences of 10-12 years, was a member of the mentioned
committee.Karunakaran repeated the finding of the I.A.S officer which was
challenged by the committee member. There was never a motion picture
called ‘Vigatha Kumaran’ and so there was never a ‘J.C.Daniel’.
 (57)
Foot Notes

• ‘Pothu mekhala studio committee’ formed in early 1972 was the first initiative of
Kerala Govt to make a system to help independent and creative genius among
film makers who are resourceless.

Chelangattu was silenced, but P.Subramanian, the Merryland Studio owner

who was present and another committee member rose up with his testimony
of seeing ‘Vigatha Kumaran’ at Capitol Cinema Hall and also seen
J.C.Daniel, hence the minister had to swallow the dissent. Daniel belongs to
Agastheeswaram in Tamilnadu, and so his case will be taken up by
Tamilnadu Govt, not a concern of Kerala Govt.

Once more an effort was made in the following year, as Chelangattu

approached the Home Affairs Minister at his office in Kerala secretariat. The
oft repeated official stand prevailed.’ Balan’ and ‘T.R.Sundharam’ the
Salem tamilian scored.

Kerala film chamber of commerce,Kuttanad Ramakrishna Pillai of

‘Malayali’ prominent leaders, artists of cinema world Malayattoor
Ramakrishnan and K.Karunakaran,all of them again saluted ‘Balan’ and
‘Sundharam’.J.C.Daniel and ‘Vigatha Kumaran’were once again thrown in
to the dust bin. Mud was thrown on truth. I think this was not specifically
done. This was a natural reaction of an orthodox feudal mindset to
everything modern, to everything inquisitive, to everything innovative in
tune with truth. The mentioned individuals and institutions were just play
things of that social mindset.

The struggle continued, it progressed, it evolved in to different stages, even

after the pioneer’s demise in April 1975.In the year preceding the demise,
Daniel was paralysed owing to a cerebral stroke, lost the ability to hear and
proper speech. Janet was all alone looking after her man, she wrote a letter
explaining the position dated 16th January 1974,and asking for
halp.Chelangattu Gopalakrishnan had done what all he can, but could not
rush any monetary support for the couple.

Articles were published in almost all South Indian journals ever since 1968,
dedicated a full chapter each on Daniel and his services in 1969-published
‘Chalachithra Vavasayam Keralathil’ and ‘Malyala Cinemayude charithram’
 (58)
in 1972.These were all sent to Agastheeswaram.Justice was done in this
way of keeping the case alive in public record, debate followed.

At one of the four meetings with J.C Daniel and Janet at Agastheeswaram,
Chelangattu got all information regarding Sundhar Raj who made the second
motion picture cum feature film. It was in 1932 that Sundhar Raj, the
follower of the pioneer invested all his money and ventured for the big
historical subject. Daniel opted for a social drama while his friend opted for
a historical subject.

It took sometime for Chelangattu to locate Sundhar Raj who lost all wealth,
another pauper, settled at Kannammoola in Trivandrum, after a long period
of wondering at various places. He was running a provisionary store and was
just surviving. The young researcher met him and family at
Kannammoola.Sundhar Raj explained all the efforts. He drew inspiration
from Daniel, his friend, mentor and a distant relative.

Sundhar Raj hailed from a highly rich family of traders and businessmen.
His brother, Chella Durairaj, retired as a D.S.P from Kerala Police. Educated
at Trivandrum in High School and college, deviated from the dreams of his
parents of sending him to England for higher studies. He remained at
Trivandrum, ran a few shops in Chala Market, ever supportive of art. He
used to be very much fond of drama and later cinema. A frequent goer of
motion pictures was a staunch supporter of Daniel. The attention to his
business dwindled during 1928-1930 period, when the entire publicity work
of Daniel’s movie project was managed by him. The debacle at Capitol
Cinema hall, followed by failures at Kollam, Thalassery, Trissur, Nagercoil
and Madhurai shattered their hopes. Daniel ran away from Trivandrum the
friends parted and never met thereafter.

Sundhar Raj was in the process of making the next motion picture. He
avoided any revolutionary concept in the making, but made the movie
revolutionary. The novel of *C.V Raman Pillai,’Marthanda
Varma’published by ‘Kamalalayam book depot’ in early decade of 20th
century was a literature that was widely appreciated. He made a script out of
the said novel, in fact the first screenplay in all respects ever in Malayalam
cinema. Money was procured through the same Daniel style. A big studio at
Nagercoil was hired for the shoot; instances in history were re-created
incurring high cost. An established group of actors was
 (59)
casted.Promonent drama persons from all around Kerala were part of the
cast. Famous Tamil cinema actress, Devaki Bai was made the heroine
(unlike Daniel’s cast).The production took one full year and in 1933, it was
ready for projection.

Foot Notes

*C.V Raman Pillai (1858 to 1922) wrote a Malayalam novel on Marthanda Varma, which
was published by ‘Kamalam Books’ at Trivandrum in 1891.It was based on the life of a
powerful king of Travancore.He ruled between 1729 and 1758 and an equally illustrious
son called ‘Dharma Raja’ or ‘Karthika Thirunal Rama Varma’ ruled from 1758 to
1798.These two rulers made the modern Travancore, a strong state. The period from 1729
to 1798, i.e, l9 long years laid the strong state of Travancore.The Pillamar’s or
‘Madampimars’ were crushed and the king became paramount. The European colonial
power, Dutch prominent in Kochi tried to forge unity with many local chieftains and tried
to take over Travancore ultimately in 1741,Marthanada Varma crushed the Dutch at the
battle of Kolachal.They were forced to retreat not only from Travancore bat from entire
Kerala coast. This was the first ever victory of an Indian force over a European colonial
power. The expansion of Travancore to Kollam, Kayamkulam, and Kottarakara happened
during Marthanda Varma’s reign. The kolachal battle in 1741,followed by the treaty of
1748 and finally by the ‘Treaty of Mavelikara’ in 1753 ensured neutrality of Dutch and
supremacy of Travancore,Marthanda Varma,Rama Raja Bahadur,Dharma Raja are the
most important historical novels of C.V.Raman Pillai.

As the feature film was on a king of Travancore in 18th century, Sundhar Raj
Sought for a meeting with the Regent Queen Sethu Parvathi Bai, this was
granted. He explained about the movie, the characters etc and requested for
permission to do ‘Pooja’ for the print of the movie at *‘Sree Padmanapha
Temple’, the ancestral temple of Travancore royal family before proceeding
for projection. The Regent impressed offered monetary support, which was
rejected.Sundhar Raj, expected only blessings and personal presence of the
Regent and others at ‘Capitol cinema hall’ for the first projection.

Foot Notes

*It was in 1731 that Marthanda Varma initiated steps to renovate and repair the ‘Sri
Padmanapha Temple’, the ancient private temple of Venad royal family. The renovation
was completed in 1733 with the platform built of a large single piece of stone known as
‘ottakalamandapam’.It was on January 3rd 1750 that a big political –cultural-religious-
diplomatic event in the history of Travancore,was organized. It is the ‘Trippadi Danam’as
per which the entire expanded kingdom was dedicated to the tutelary
diety,Sri”Padmanapha of Trivandrum.The impact was that the king and successors for all
time to come, be known in history as servants of Sri:Padmanapha.The state of Travancore
 (60)
to be treated as a sacred Trust with the king who will rule on behalf of Sri:
Padmanapha.Marthanad Varma became the first ‘Padmanapha dasan’ and the Present-
Day king ‘Uthradam Thirunal Marthanda Varma’the most modern ‘Padmanapha Dasan’

The pooja was allowed and the print sealed in a trunk was mounted on an
elephant, accompanied by a company of Travancore State Army set forth
from east fort, Sree Padmanapha Temple to Capitol cinema. The event
attracted lot of public attention, excellent publicity, a mega show, which was
filmed by Sundhar Raj himself. Regent Sethu Parvathi Bai and other
members of the royal family arrived in pomp and show for the projection of
‘Marthanda Varma’.The show was a grand success as the Regent
overwhelmed by the film on her predecessor appreciated all the crew headed
by director V.P.Rao (belonged to Andhra) and the cast, also the maker. She
gifted a ‘Silver Sword’ as a token of appreciation to the lead actor who
played ‘Marthanda Varma’ (Andi,a famous drama stage actor of
Thalassery).
All this added great mileage to the efforts of Sundhar Raj.There was no
feudal complex, the audience was happy. This was followed by 3 days of
good collection at the capitol. Copyright issue surfaced, perhaps the first of
that sort in Indian cinema.*Kamalalayam Books owner approached the
magistrate court with the plea that the rights of the novel reserved with him
have to be respected.Sundhar Raj made the story and screen play entirely
from the novel, and he never approached the publisher for the copyrights.
The court acted immediately, stalled the shows on the 5th day.Malloor
Govinda Pillai,who inaugurated Vigatha Kumaran’s first projection
appeared for Kamalalayam Books owner, Raman Menon.Anna Chandy,the
first lady lawyer of Kerala appeared for Sundhar Raj.The creative freedom
of an artist was overran with copyrights plea. The film print was confiscated
and an indemnity pay of five thousand rupees was to be paid to the
publisher.Sundhar Raj approached High Court and again the same verdict
followed. The product cost was almost one and a half lakhs of British Indian
rupees, and he was left with nothing to pay the cast and the crew. All the
property, business etc were lost. The entire studio equipments and the
valuables connected with the project were sold and the debts cleared.
Foot Notes
* ‘Kamalalayam Book Depot’ published the first historical novel of C.V.Raman Pillai in
1891, the first novel in Malayalam literature. They got all rights reserved in a special
agreement with C.V.Raman Pillai, the litigation between Kamalalayam Books owner,
Raman Menon and Sundhar Raj is considered as the first court case on copyrights in
India.
 (61)

Sundhar Raj following the footsteps of his mentor, J.C.Daniel, left

Trivandrum along with his heroine, Devaki Bai, the famous Tamil actress.
They were in love, hence got married and their honeymoon was practically
in the streets of Nagercoil and small rented houses elsewhere.Sundhar Raj
did a lot of odd jobs to survive and the actress wife, unlike her lady
colleagues in cinema stood firmly with him, gave up acting and became a
home maker. Another Rosie indeed. The first and second heroines more or
less had the same life till death.

Chelangattu got all these information from the second movie maker who
added that he selected the subject matter on ‘Marthanda Varma’ owing to his
devotion to the great ruler of Travancore who made the modern state,
modern military state, challenged the Europeans and crushed the Dutch
influence in entire Kerala starting with the * ‘battle of Kolachal’ in August,
1741 and successively got rid of them through the treaty of 1748 and then at
the end through the ‘Treaty of Mavelikara’ in 1753.The maker of modern
Travancore, indeed.

Foot Notes

*The Dutch had established their stronghold in Kochi and by the third decade of 18th
century started machinations to get hold of Travancore and Malabar. The English East
India Company also developed similar plans.Marthanda Varma who adventurously
acquired state power overthrowing the feudal chieftans, in 1729 developed a plan to
expand venad to sustain his power and make a powerful state. The Dutch with the support
of Attingal and Kollam rulers sent a big force led by ‘Eustacius De Lannoy’ to swallow
venad.Marthanda Varma personally took over the command of his army and faught the
foreign forces, crushed them at ‘Kolachal’on August 10th 1741.A large number of
Dutchmen sent from Kochi were taken prisoners including De Lannoy.The Dutch
withdrew and in the years to come subdued more to Travancore in 1748 and later
ultimately through the ‘Treaty of Mavelikara’ in 1753,as per which Dutch was finally
neutralized. The entire Travancore was unified with strong administration and this led to
the creation of a strong military state.Marthanda Varma modernised his armies first with
the help of English taking advantage of their rivalry with the French. Ever after 1741,De
Lannoy became a staunch supporter and he became the chief trainer of Travancore
forces, ‘Valiya Kappithan’.The other loyal supporters were his own son,Karthika
Thirunal Rama Varma’ (Dharma Raja) and the Diwan Ramayyan Dalawa

Sundhar Raj fell a prey to the copyright regulations simply because he made
a mistake which could have been pardoned owing to the historic value of his
 (62)
artistic creation. The law of the land was never kind to him, never
appreciated him for making a motion picture out of history, something that
very few movie makers have done successfully in India. He was punished
for the goodness in him. What an irony. This is being done from time
immemorial .Goodness is a crime Sundhar Raj fell a prey to the malayali
feudal mental complex as well. He never told any of his neighbors about
himself as the second movie maker or his wife, as a famous tamil movie
actress of late 1920s.Hence he requested Chelangattu never to disclose to the
world that he or his wife are alive. The secret that ‘Kamalalayam Book
Depot’is still having the prints of his dream project was disclosed. This was
a good lead to establish that Malayalam cinema was born much before
‘Balan’ and that ‘T.R.Sundharam’ is not the father of Malayalam cinema
(T.R.Sundharam once allowed an interview for Chelangattu at Salem, during
which the former who had gone through all the write-ups and cinema related
books of the latter, categorically denied the title bestowed on him. He said
that the fatherhood was deliberately imposed on him by some powerful men
of Kerala)

The journalist to quench the thirst of the historian, followed up with the lead
procured from Sundhar Raj.This was in early 1973 and the search ended
with coming across the son of late Raman Menon, owner of Kamalalayam
Books, who had long stopped publishing work and was running a ledge and
a restaurant near kerala secretariat. The man showed the inquirer the master
print of ‘Marthanda Varma’ kept locked in a trunk in a deserted room of the
lodge. He also showed the judgement document and the journalist was
happy, the historian excited, but with a feeling of sorrow that such a splendid
matter of tremendous archival value was treated with neglect for a period a
40 years (1933 to 1973).Chelangattu Gopalakrishnan convinced late Raman
Menon’s son that the master print is a public property and thus deserve to be
preserved. It is history for the present and coming generations to know and
learn.

A Series of articles followed on the subject, one of them published in

Kottayam based ‘cinema masika’ edited by C.K.Soman was seen and read
by the then Assistant curator of *Pune National Film Archives of India
(N.F.A.I),*Shri P.K.Nair.He wrote to C.K.Soman, the editor about the
subject matter, who inturn informed Chelangattu to provide more
corroborative information.P.K.Nair arrived from Pune, visited late Raman
 (63)
Menon’s son along with C.K.Soman based on the information provided by
our journalist-historian. The master print (both positive and negative) was
bought for a price of ten thousand ruppees on behalf of the central Govt.A
small portion of the said amount was sent to Sundhar Raj which was helpful
for him in his old age.P.K.Nair listed the film, sent it to England, re-
processed the celluloid and preserved the same in the Archieve.It had been
source of study material for thousands of film students over decades. In fact
the master print of the 1100 silent movies made is south India is missing, but
for this feature film made by Sundhar Raj, the closest disciple of the Pioneer.
Those who clamoured for ‘Balan’ were alleging that there is no print of
‘Vigatha Kumaran’, hence there was no such film. The print of Balan, the
first Malayalam talkie was never recovered.Malayattoor, Karunakaran and
others never answered such questions.

Foot Notes

*N.F.A.I or the National Film Archives of India was an after effect of the
recommendations of the ‘National Film Enquiry Committee’ in 1951.The then prime
minister; Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru was instrumental in working out the recommendations.
Awards were instituted for best feature films, children’s film society, National Film
Corporation (National Film Development Corporation) Hindustan Photo Films, National
Film Institute at Pune and National Film Library at Pune were founded. This National
Film Library founded in 1961 later developed in to N.F.A.I in 1964.The N.F.A.I under
the able leadership of P.K.Nair collected rare prints of many early films (Marthanda
Varma released in 1933, Raja Harichandra in 1913, Lanka Dahan in 1917, Kalpana in
1948) from different parts of India and abroad. Almost 12000 films were collected and
preserved out of which 8000 are Indian Films.
There was a fire at N.F.A.I 2003 which is said to have destroyed many classics kept
preserved including ‘Raja Harchnadra’ and ‘Achyuth Kanya’.P.K.Nair has contradicted
this official statement as all the enlisted prints do have both positive and negative
formats. Even if positives are destroyed, negatives preserved elsewhere in soft copy can
be copied in to as many positives as possible.

Evidence for a movie before ‘Balan’ was established, the Govt of India
acknowledged it in 1973.What about the observance of 25th anniversary of
Malayalam cinema in 1963 by Govt statutory body called ‘Kerala Film
Chamber of Commerce’? Why the two Governmental Committees on
cinema in early 1970s put forth reports which were officially approved
stating that there was no Malayalam cinema before 1938? Why Chelangattu
was insulted even by Kuttanadu Ramakrishnan Pillai and was almost
dismissed from
 (64)

‘Malayali’? Why the official leadership of the public relations department

never considered the veracity of his articles and books?

The answer is simple, feudal mental complex of malayali.The malayali

social set up could not digest a Pulaya playing the role of heroine and a
nadar converted Christian making a film.No, pulayas and nadars cannot do
such things. The article of *‘Thottam Rajasekharan’in ‘Samakaleena
Malayalam’ weekly is a hang-over of this feudal physique. The mentioned
article in last part of March 2013 was titled ‘Aaranee Daniel’(who is this
Daniel?) which met with sharp criticism, with as many as four persons
publishing an article each teaching Thottathil Rajasekharan about the
historical Daniel and historical Vigatha Kumaran also about historical
P.K.Rosamma.

Foot Notes

*Thottam Rajasekharan retired as Director of Public Relations, Govt of Kerala, a

colleague of Malayattoor Ramakrishna Pillai.His encyclopeadic work on cinema do not
have any mention of J.C.Daniel or Vigatha Kumaran.He was also in administrative cadre
while Malayattoor Ramakrishnan was harshly dealing Chelangattu Gopalakrishnan.

‘Marthanda Varma’ was restored, made history, but what about J.C.Daniel
and his creation? Chelangattu wrote an article for ‘screen’, the nationally
circulated English magazine on cinema. Actually this was in response to an
article published in the magazine (June 1973 issue) which stated that
‘Marthanada Varma’ is the first Malayalam cinema.Chelangattu’s article
expressing the truth was published. It attracted much attention. The impact
that he failed to create in South was actually created through this
article.P.K.Nair wrote to him asking for media reports about Vigatha
Kumaran in 1930 or ever after, for the print of the movie (positive and
negative) etc.The print of Vigatha Kumaran was destroyed, other evidence
(a still of the movie and a hand-bill advertisement) and the real J.C.Daniel
were available. The article explained about the living conditions of the
Pioneer of Agastheeswaram.*N.F.A.I was acting under strict rules and
P.K.Nair could not enlist the silent made by Daniel for dearth of print. The
evidence in Daniel’s possession were not enough for a historical restoration.
The journalistic efforts of Chelangattu ever since 1960 were largely received
by the readers but these on J.C.Daniel ever since 1968 were met with
ridicule, scorn and severe opposition.
 (65)

Foot Notes

*National Film Archives of India at Pune follow certain modalities for taking over
materials of archival importance. The movie must have it’s original
print,stills,booklet,news paper cuttings of those days about the film, also the details of
how the same were recovered, who recovered, when etc have to be out in authentic
writing.

The ground was set for struggles ahead with the restoration of ‘Marthanad
Varma’reels.J.C.Daniel passed away in April 1975 in dire poverty and
physical ailment. His pleas were never met with respect. The movie world of
which he laid the foundation, film magazines, film institutions, Govt of
Kerala, general public, none were of any help. There was a journalist cum
historian from Cherthala who lobbied for him and his legacy, wrote scores of
articles in all cinema and art related columns of South Indian journals, also
in ‘screen’ about the pioneer and the pioneership.Encounters with a Govt
secretary and a minister actually helped the cause. There was debate, a silent
turmoil within the volcano.

*Saju Chelangattu, elder son of the man told me that his father had done all
these work spending from his pocket travelled in to routes devoid of modern
transportation, risked job prospects, increments etc for truth.Asianet news
T.V channel once as part of the programme called ‘Kettathum
Kandathum’was a tribute to him.Chelangattu Gopalakrishnan did not earn
much, he died a forgotten man, leaving behind a treasure house of
information. He did not leave behind riches for his children, typical of all
those who faught for truth. There are many finished, half furnished
manuscripts on various topics huddled up in his study awaiting publication.

The biography of J.C.Daniel was published by Saju Chelangattu a year after

his Father’s demise and ‘Annathe Nayikamar’ in 2012 September, still later.
The biography of the pioneer is being translated in to Tamil as well as
English.Chelangattu Gopalakrishnan is the pioneer film historian cum
journalist in Malayalam cinema.
 (66)
Foot Notes

*Saju Chelangattu, elder son of Chelangattu Gopalakrishnan is employed with the U.NI.
(United News of India), a journalist and custodian of his Father’s works (literature)
published and unpublished. Many manuscripts are still kept in his Father’s study. In reply
to Thottam Rajasekharan’s insulting write-up in ‘Samakalika Malayalam’ weekly(March
last 2013),published as part of four excellent write-ups,Saju has rightly pointed out that
his Father had althroughout spoken, written and argued for the pioneer until the point of
Kerala Govt’s official recognition in 1992.Following Chelangattu Gopalakrishnan who
met J.C.Daniel and Janet at Agastheeswaram in 1968,journalists like Joseph
Edamaruku,Kunnukuzhi Mani,Manorama correspondent Mannarkadu Mathew, have
visited the couple and wrote about them to bring down pressure on the Govt.An excellent
report and a good full size photograph of the Daniels was published in the columns of
Malayala Manorama daily on November 20th 1973.It was this same photo that is given as
the cover story of the ‘biography’ written by Chelangattu,published after his death by
Saju Chelangattu in July 2011.
 (67) CHAPTER-6
LUMIERE BROTHERS TO DANIEL

The wonder of cinema is the result of many a pioneers’ life struggle

Lumieres (Auguste Marie Louis Nicolas and Louis Jean) developed
cinematograph from their photographic equipment in late 1880s and
patent the same on 13th February 1895.The first movie made was a scene
of workers leaving the Lumiere factory. The efforts in France were on
parallel with those in England and the U.S.Many imaginative persons
risked their energy, time, talents and hard-earned resources for
experiments patency rules helped the lucky ones to prevail with their
product and process guaranteed.

I would like to focus on two pioneers out of many such geniuses, such
men who became one with the art, such humans who spiritually became
identified with the creative angle of cinema. They are D.W.Griffith and
Charles spencer Chaplin (Charlie Chaplin).Griffith was to drama, what
Chaplin was to comedy. Both were pioneers and masters.

D.W.Griffith (David Llewelyn Wark Griffith) born on 22nd January 1875

at Kentucky in the U.S, was active in art world from 1908 to 1931.At the
age of 73, passed away on July 23rd 1948, a poor and deserted man. A
pioneer in film direction and influenced many masters like John Ford,
Alfred Hitchcock, Orson Welles, Cecil.B, De Mille, Lev Kuleshov, Jean
Renoir, Sergei Eisenstein, and Carl Theodor Dreyer.

His contributions are many, can be summarized as follows,

(a) Pioneered full length feature films
(b) Innovated tinting to give color effect to images.
(c) Film promotional activities through widespread advertisements and road
shows
(d) Artists Guild to monopolize production and distribution. Charlie Chaplin
called this great film-maker “the teacher of us all”. The maker of classics
among early American silents starting with *’The Birth of a Nation’
released in 1915, historically speaking the first blockbuster. It is the first
American film with a duration of more than a hour, as all the feature
films till then were of less than a hour. Film makers were not confident to
ensure viewer ship for more than a hour.Griffith was a pioneer, a risk-
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taker who made ‘The Birth of a Nation’, making it enormously popular,
paving the path to the standard that cinema is today with considerable
influence in the life of multitudes. It broke the so-called ‘box office records’,
arousing considerable curiosity and controversy due to the positive depiction
of slavery, racism during the American Civil War etc.The movie was the
most successful box office attraction of those times. It met with strong
criticism from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored
People’ (NAACP).The volunteers of this organization attempted to block the
projection of the film. The content was agitational for the northerners and
after all the havoc, the men who profited from the film was ‘Louis Mayer’
who purchased the rights for distribution in England.He made big money
and founded the ‘Metro Goldwyn Mayer Studios (MGM).

Foot Notes

*The production company of the classic ‘The Birth of a Nation’ was ‘Reliance-majestic
Studios’ of which Griffith was also a partner. The actual name of the film was
‘Clansman’, later known in the mentioned name.

Griffith was a show-man, his road shows were highly expensive and thus the
returns were greatly utilized for the same. His next film, also a classic named
‘Intolerance’ released in 1916 also had the same fate. He responded to his
opponents and critics through this film, though a success at box office, the
lavish road show ruined the returns.

Griffith was unsuccessful as a producer, for his huge budgets never got
recovered from the market. ‘United Artists’ was founded along with Charlie
Chaplin, Mary Pick ford and Douglas Fairbanks. The association continued
till 1924.The talkies posed a severe challenge to all the silent makers. An
advanced sound technology evolved over decades and finally in 1927, the
first talkie called ‘Jazz Singer’ was released. Griffith along with Charlie
Chaplin and others spoke, for the radio programme called ‘The Dodge
Brothers hour’ on 29th march 1929, to prove that they are able to meet the
challenge.

Born to an army man, Griffith encountered poverty in his teens. A high

school drop-out, worked as a dry goods store sales boy and a book store boy.
He took to writing, made drama scripts, and then an actor for the stage and
movies in 1908.He is considered to be one of the most important figures of
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early American Cinema. His film techniques and expressive skills could not
help him to survive ever since 1931.He lost touch with Hollywood and
remained in oblivion. Married twice, both divorced, an ill man, he breathed
his last due to cerebral hemorrhage on July 23rd 1948 on his way to a
hospital at Los Angels. Very few film persons attended his funeral.

A renounced American film maker, Orson Welles said,

“I have never really hated Hollywood except for its
treatment of D.W Griffith. No town, no industry, no profession, no art form
owes so much to a single man”.

America acknowledged Griffith after his death and today Griffith is an

institution for world cinema.

Charles Spencer Chaplin (Charlie Chaplin) born on 16th April 1889, was
active in the art world from 1899 to 1976(77 years).Passed away on 25th
December 1977.A Britisher by birth but his artistic pursuits shifted him to
the U.S in the second decade of 20th century and his socio-political
commitments from there to Switzerland in 1952 where his tomb lies. A
pioneer actor, film director, film producer, screen writer, editor and music
composer. Raised in London, Chaplin was an unlucky child. His
autobiography brings to light the acute painful childhood that he had, with
poverty at one end and the aftermath of a broken marriage of his parents. His
father was absent and mother was in a mental asylum. Born to stage artists,
with a married life in utter failure Chaplin and his brother Sydney were left
to themselves.

Charlie had to work at a local workshop twice before the age of nine, later
joined a touring ballet troupe working as stage actor and comedian. Poverty
made him a comedian by sheer chance. In late teens, Charlie signed for a
touring drama troupe who took him to the U.S.It was in 1913, at the age of
24; he entered movies from stage shows. The pioneer tramp person in
Hollywood clicked in 1914 and began directing his own films from 1915
onwards became one of the most famous men in the whole world in 1918.

Inorder to liberate himself from the mercy of the moneyed class, from the
lobbies of big film producers, Charlie Chaplin joined a group of talents
including D.W.Griffith in 1919 and founded the film production-distribution
 (70)
Company called ‘United Artists’. Chaplin remained a part of this
organization till he was forced to flee the U.S in 1952.

Chaplin’s pioneership can be summarized in to the following,

(a) He made the first full length feature film comedy in the whole world.
(b) Innovated man on the street as the caricature for film heroes, his
tramp figure remained classic from 1914 to 1936(22 years) and
appreciated even today.
(c) Financial independence made use of, in making socio-political plots
with radical message.
(d) Made cinema a mass art from, enjoyable for billions all around the
world.
(e) Pioneered stories for the working class and the third world.
(f) Challenged the overwhelming popularity and reach of talkies and
continued to make silents for a full decade, owing to his belief that
sound technology will kill the art in cinema.

Chaplin’s debut motion picture is ‘Making a living’ released on February 2nd

1914.He played a character for another director and story writer, he took
risk, convinced a prominent production company,’ key stone’ at Los
Angeles, ventured his debut film directorial called ‘Caught in the Rain’
released on 04th May 1914.The *short films of ‘keystone’ ever since this
movie, were all directed by Chaplin(approximately one short film per
week).His tramp character in a movie made in 1915,became his stage
trademark for another 21 years. Slapstick in slower pace and pathos made
the tramp world famous. The years after 1915 made him a global cultural
phenomenon, became the most famous film star of the whole world, and
became the first international super star.

*’United Artists’ made Chaplin almost independent to visualise his own

creations, his own stories and compositions. This trend started in 1919.The
association extended up to 1952.

The making of the classic,’ The kid’ started in August 1919 with a four year
old child artist (the first child movie artist in the whole world) Jackie
Coogan as his co-star. It was a large project and was in production until may
1920.The film was almost 4 lakh foot long with a duration of 68 minites(one
hour and 8 minites),blasting the concept of ‘short films’. The long film was a
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risk, but was a tremendous success, a success till date. It is a comedy but
almost autobiographical with an orphaned child taken care of by another
orphaned grown-up. The rigours of life on the streets, uncertainty of life,
pathos and the comical representation of facts made the film an event par
excellence. Released in January 1921.

Charlie Chaplin portrayed the layman’s life, a pioneering feat in entire

Hollywood, attained applause. He delivered strong and sharp social
messages in the guise of comedy. The films were all released and distributed
in as many as 50 countries including India. Capitol cinema hall of
Travancore used to project his movies and there was good viewership for the
same.
‘A woman of Paris’,’ The Gold Rush’, ‘City Lights’, and ‘Modern Times’
were all made when the whole world moved to make talkies. He bravely
maintained a policy of defiance against sound in cinema. He was determined
to continue making silents.His financial independence, genuine stories born
out of meticulous research and craft utilized fetched tremendous returns
from global market.

The artist had a strong sense of socialism and was charged of anti-British
empire feelings. He sympathized with the Indian freedom struggle, the Afro-
Asian-Latin American movements for national self determination. The
pioneering feat of social comitments for artists was demonstrated. The
‘Great Dictator’ released in 1940 and the one preceding it, ‘Modern Times’
were increasingly political. The former was against imperialism as such and
the latter was sarcasm on modern industrial life with least concern of
man.Adolf Hitler was mimicked and the film was banned in Germany,
though Hitler Secretly got a print of ‘Great dictator smuggled in to Germany,
saw the same. The dictator sent killers to the U.S to put the artist to eternal
silence.

Sound technology was first used by Chaplin in ‘Great dictator’ for six
minites at the end. The world heard his voice for the first time airing his
strong protest of all dictatorship, his firm support for the impoverished and
dream of a world order devoid of all sorts of exploitation. It was in October
1940 that the satirical comedy was released. He spent almost two years in
making the script and began filming in September 1939.It was a big risk as
making a comedy on Hitler was seen as highly controversial, but Chaplin’s
financial independence allowed him to venture for the same. The ‘tramp’
 (72)
figure was replaced with a military leader called, ‘Adenoid Hynkel’, a
parody of Hitler. Chaplin played double roles in this movie (A German
barber and as Adenoid Hynkel).

A full year in production (September 1939 to October 1940) preceded by 2

years of scripting (1937 to 1939).Sound technology was used for the first
time to deliver a political message. He opted it as the best method to deliver
a strong political message for the whole world. There was a lot of publicity
made and the film turned out to be one of the biggest money makers of 20th
century. The movie was widely accepted but for the six minite monologue of
Chaplin at the end. Many of his fans thought that it was inappropriate as he
looked straight at the camera and professed his personal beliefs. It triggered
the decline in Chaplin’s popularity. That was the dawn of a mixed image of
the star (the artist and the politician).He was criticized for his opposition to
all forms of capitalism. His attack on fascism was appreciated but his ideas
of a peaceful world order without the poor and needy, without the pomp and
show, without exploitation, met with scorn. This was due to the prevailing
system of colonies, semi colonies, mandatories, protectorates and
dominions, on one side and the imperial powers existing as free and
democratic nations with a control over the rest of the world.

The post-1940 period was a challenging time for the artist and the man in
Charlie Chaplin. The next film called ‘Monsieur Verdoux’released in early
1947 after the world war (April 1947).This was actually a dark or black
comedy about a French serial killer, but conveyed indirect message
criticizing the world encouraging mass killing through wars and weapons of
mass destruction. Though Chaplin claimed that it is the most brilliant and
cleverest film that he had ever made, the same flopped in the U.S.It is the
first Chaplin film that flopped both critically and commercially in the U.S.
‘United Artists’ underwent the biggest disappointment in the U.S, though it
succeeded in the foreign market. The screenplay got nominated at the
Academy awards (Academy of Motion picture arts and sciences, Oscar)
though the earlier film got five Academy Award nominations including the
best picture, best screen play and best actor.

The public image of Chaplin ever after 1940 was that of a dangerous
progressive who used to befriend the Russians and the anti-imperialists all
around the world. The failure of ‘Monsieur Verdoux’ was largely due to this
 (73)

Fact. In early 1947, the Federal Burean of investigation (F.B.I) opened a

fresh probe on Chaplin under the pretext that he is a threat to national
security. Indeed he is the first cinema personality who was falsely charged
for security reasons. American congress members asked for his deportation,
as he was long denying American citizenship. His stay in Hollywood was
considered harmful and a negative impact on American youth. They called
his creations loathsome pictures.

Charlie Chaplin, the artist denied all charges levelled against him and
responsed with a film called ‘Limelight’, mere or less autobiographical. It is
about a famous stage actor of London sinking in to oblivion in the U.S.The
film told about Chaplin, the boy and teenager in London, his estranged
parents and then the refuge in U.S.The American life itself turned a failure.
As usual due to obvious reasons of meticulous research, Chaplin spent three
years on the script, filming started in November 1951(1948to 1951,on
scripting). ‘Limelight’ was primiered in London and Chaplin along with his
entire family left the U.S for the same on 18th Sep, 1952.He was telegramed
not to re-enter the U.S for which he breathed an air of relief and privately
decided to cut ties with them. He arranged to shift all his wealth in U.S to
Switzerland ‘Limelight’ was largely boycotted in the United States, while it
was successful in Europe.
The man settled down in Switzerland in January 1953.All his property in
Hollywood were sold, and his stocks with ‘United Artists’ were also sold. A
period of brief retirement followed involving many social comitments. The
USSR led world awarded him the ‘International Peace Prize’ during this
period. The artist was re-born when ‘A king in New York’ was released in
September 1957 (scripting in vogue from 1954).It was in fact his first
European film. The story is about an exiled king in New York, a political
satire. It is a parody, making fun of consumerism, plastic surgery, wide
screen cinema and the rock and roll music. This most bitter and most open
personal film was an attack on the U.S system as a whole.

The film was not given to U.S distributors, which severely limited revenue
generation. American journalists were banned at the Paris premiere and thus
the U.S was made to wonder at the theme of the project. The pioneering
endeavour in Europe met with a moderate success and it was only in 1973
that the film was shown in the U.S with Chaplin’s consent.
 (74)
‘A countess from Honk Kong’ released in January 1967 (his second
European Film) was a box office failure. Indeed it is his last film. It took ten
years for him to make this movie, ever since the ‘A King in New York’, as
althroughout 1960s and till his demise in 1977, nearly for 17 years (1960 to
1976)he was busy re-releasing his earlier masterpieces with re-edition and
re-scoring(The kid, The circus, The pilgrim, A woman of Paris) in the
context of a positive change in the political atmosphere from early
1960s.Public attention in U.S and Europe once again focused on Chaplin’s
films. He published his auto biography in September 1964 on which he was
working since 1957.It is one of the most famous best sellers all around the
world even today.
It was in 1971 that the ‘Cannes Film Festival’ gave him a special award the
following year he was honoured by the Venice Film festival. In 1972, the
‘Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ offered Chaplin a honarary
award.U.S.A invited him for the honour to be bestowed. The great man re-
entered U.S for the first time in 20 years, after initial reluctance. It was a
historic event with large press coverage and at the award site he was given a
12 minute standing ovation, the largest in the Academy’s history.
Emotionally moved Charlie Chaplin accepted the honorary Oscar award for
his incalculable services for making the motion pictures, the art form of 20th
century.
The master passed away in sleep on a Christmas day, i.e, 25th December
1977, at the grand old age of 88 years. A monument of cinema, persecuted
for free expression of opinions, influenced many including J.C.Daniel.
Chaplin’s movies were highly inspirational for the young Daniel. The
discussions at Trivandrum were always centred on Charlie Chaplin; the
master film maker. The tramp figure was appreciated all around the third
world as it represented the poor and resource less

Daniel made a social drama, a photo play not on any fairytale or on any
Purana as was the case of all his predecessors and contemporaries in India.
His theme was simple but the message born out of a revolutionary
background involving the low castes attracted the wrath of a society(High-
ups who were the regular movie goers).He suffered for the crime committed.
Justice done in 1992 for a crime done in 1928-1930 period.

D.W.Griffith and Daniel had the same fate, as both died unsung. Chaplin
was at last accepted and honoured.He is one among a few who were
honoured for all the life time services during their life time.
(75) CHAPTER-7
CASTE-RIDDEN MENTAL FRAME-WORK OF
KERALA

Caste is part and parcel of Kerala society from time

immemorial caste is division made in society based on the profession or
trade followed. The Vedas prevalent from B.C period determined the society
in to Brahmins, Vysas, Kshatriyas and Shudras.This was followed by the
Aryans who established their suzerainty over entire India. The Dravidian
influence was progressively put out.Budhist religion professing equality of
all beings lost its impact and the Hindu revivalist missions of Shri:
Shankaracharya gained ground in the Southern parts of India also. A
division of society was based on division of labour.

Sangam age is the golden period in Kerala history preceding the Pauranic or
Aryan age. This comprised of five centuries of the Christian era, being the
formative epoch of Kerala history Kerala was part of ‘Tamilakam’.It was
divided in to five topographical regions called
Venad,Kuttanad,Kudanad,Poozhinad and Karkanad.Ancient Tamil literature
clearly gives indications of the boundaries of the said regions.

Venad comprised of present day Thiruvanathapuram district, portions of

Kollam and Pathanamthitta districts.Kuttanad or the ‘Land of lakes’
comprised of the whole of Allappuzha, Kottayam, Idukki, Ernakulam
districts and a portion of the Kollam district.

Kudanad or the ‘western land’ comprised to the land lying north of

Kuttanad, it included Trissur,Malappuram,Palakkad districts and a portion of
Kozhikode district.Poozhinad or the ‘marshy tract’ covered the coasted areas
of present Kannur and Kasarkode districts.
Karkanad included the mountain regions of Wynad, Koodalloor etc.
The land of Kerala as part of ‘Tamilakam’ was politically ruled by three
powers during the early sangam age. They are Ays in the South, rulers of
Ezhimala in the North and by the cheras in the region lying in between. The
cheras were the most predominant ones.
 (76)
Kerala society during Sangam age was not at all caste-ridden. The people
enjoyed a vast measure of freedom and equality as there was dignity of
labour.Communities like Kuravas, Panas, Vetas and Parayas were held in
respect by the king and the nobles. There was full right to education for all.
The early sangam age did not had the ‘Chathur Varna’ system as per which
the divisions (Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vyshyas, and Shudras) was set. The
women enjoyed high status, and freedom of movement, expression as well
as occupation.
The high rate of female literacy created many poetess.
Aryanisation of Kerala changed the entire social fabric.*It was a slow but
steady process and ended in the total capitulation of the Dravidian Politico-
social forces. It is believed that the Aryan Brahmins of the North started
entering Kerala through Malabar in the early years of 8th century A.D
onwards. The process reached the climax in 8th century A.D with a major
population of Vedic Brahmins got well-settled in Kerala society with
tremendous political influence. The Buddhist religion was overrun by the
supremacy of the Vedic faith. The Aryanisation got established in 9th century
A.D as it is during this century that Shankaracharya (788 AD to 820 AD)
enforced the ‘Bhakthi Movement’ Hinduism became the major religion by
late 11th century A.D.

Foot Notes

*The influx of Vedic Brahmins in 8th century A.D and thereafter was preceded by a
negligible immigration ever since the early Sangam age, althroughout the later sangam
age. They had gained some sort of social recognition and respect due to their so-called
superior intelligence and Hindu scriptures. Many Chera kings patronized them.

Caste system or ‘Chathur Varna’ was imposed on a casteless society. The

toiling communities began to be looked down upon as low castes. Education
was limited, women no longer enjoyed social freedom and equality, child
marriage affected, and thus the immediate impact of Aryan immigration was
a decline in the status of the toiling masses and women. The advent of
Christianity in Kerala much before the said Aryanisation was not able to
gain prominence inspite of similarity with some of Buddhist and Jainist
doctrines.St.Thomas, one of the disciples of Jesus Christ came to Kerala in
52 AD and founded seven churches (Maliankara, Palayur, Kottarkavu,
Kokkamangalam, Kollam, Niranam and Nilakkal) Most of early Keralite
Christians were called St.Thomas Christians. The coming of colonial powers
like the Portuguese, Dutch, French and the British helped the growth of
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Christianity in South India. A number of Christian missionaries from the
west carried out health and educational activities in Kerala.The C.M.S
(church mission society) of London established a long unbroken chain of
libraries, hospitals, schools and colleges in all parts of Kerala. English
education supported the growth of radical frame of mind in the caste-ridden
Kerala Society.

The Jews are believed to have migrated to Kerala in the first Century AD
due to religious persecution in their homeland. Thousands migrated in
successive centuries. They remained secluded from the general public and
concentrated their stay in certain pockets, though commanded large riches.
Ever since 1948, when the state of Israel was born, most of them returned to
their homeland. Minimal influences in Kerala social fabric, Jews are a
microscopic minority today with their picturesque presence in towns of
parur, Mattancheri and Fort Kochi in the district of Ernakulam.

Islam with all the significance of an omnipotent God, had been influencing
Kerala from B.C.period, nay, the Arab World had been in constant trade
activities with Kerala right from the spice trade age. Cinnamon and
Cardamom (spices typical of Kerala cost) had attracted the Greeks and the
Arabs. The first long voyage to Malabar Coast was done by the Arabs of
Oman and Persian Gulf. The first consignment of Cinnamon reached Middle
East through the Arab traders. There were regular sea routes between Kerala
coast and the Middle east(There were land routes connecting South India to
North India during the time of Indus valley civilization, and from the North
to Middle east)Arabs settled down in Crananore just like the Christians. The
last of the chera emperor of Kerala, Cheraman Perumal was an Islamic
convert. He left power and traveled to Oman, settled down at Salalah
(Kerala-like region in South Oman) along with hundreds of farmers,
carpenters, goldsmiths etc.This was during the later Sangam age during
which Islam was born. The religion reached Kerala through the Arab traders.
This was in 8th century A.D .Later on Islam was patronized by the Zamorins
(Samoodiri) of Kozhikode.The naval forces of Kozhikode state were full of
Islamists or Muslims. Islam flourished in Malappuram and Kozhikode
districts during the medieval times.
Islam is today the second largest religious community in Kerala.The social
system had been influenced by this religion.
The royal families of Kozhikode, Malabar, Kochi and travancore that
evolved ever after the Sangam age led the socio-political system based on
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feudal economy ever since the 09th or 10th century A.D.The kings more or
less allowed the system of untouchability and inapproachability based on
‘Chathur Varna’ which is one of the fundamentals of the Vedas. The
landlords existed on the blood and toil of the so-called low castes.

The British East India Company and later the British crown never really
tried to radicalize this social system. The English education introduced in
India was actually meant for recruiting clerks for the vast British Indian
administration. The princely states like Travancore and Kochi also followed
steps. The missionaries played their part well. The democratic principles of
Renaissance, Reformation and the Industrial Revolution obviously got
spread through this English education introduced during the first half of 19th
century.

Feudal mind developed contradictions. The youth, belonging to the middle

class of the upper castes, themselves started finding fault with the feudal
social processes. Thus the wind of Renaissance that got spread in Bengal
began blowing southward. This was in the second half of 19th century. The
Renaissance movements on the soil of Kerala led by luminaries like swami
Agamananda of Ramakrishna Ashramam at Kaladi,Chattampi
Swamikal(1853 to 1924)and Sri:Narayana Guru(1854 to 1928),Sivayogi
Swami,Vagbhadanantha Swami and Vaikunta Swami created a strong
current of social reforms. The revolutionary aspects of the freedom struggle
in Kerala supported this social reformation.Vaikkam Satyagraha and
Guruvayoor Satyagraha were the two after-effects of all these activities. The
progressives in Travancore royal family and the social pressure formed out
of the mentioned movements forced the state to declare ‘Temple entry’ for
all Hindus (Upper and lower castes), a revolutionary step in the whole of
sociological India in 1936.

The lower caste revolutionary spirit manifested in fighters like Sri:

Iyyankali, Pandit Karuppan, Sahodaran Ayyappan, Kumaran Asan and
others. The ‘Sadhu Jana Paripalana Sankham’ formed by Iyyankali was a
platform for all the downtrodden, the lower castes to forge unity and fight
for a caste-less society. They organized the first agrarian strike in 1912.The
toilers refused to toil and feed the entire society on demand of modern
education in public schools. The entire food production halted, the state of
Travancore came down to negotiate and thus history was made.Iyyankali
became the spokesperson of the lower castes, gained popular support and
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bargaining power, got nominated to the *Legislative Council (Sri Mulam
Praja Sabha) during the third decade of 20th century. The success of the first
agrarian struggle in Kerala led to the introduction of free Primary
education(democratic) for all in Travancore by king,Sri: Mulam Thirunal
Rama Varma and a Director of Education(Public Education)was appointed
to co-ordinate all educational activities. The Govt schools were thrown open
to the children of the so-called untouchable communities. Educated men
from these low castes were appointed to the public services. Sanskrit
college, Ayurveda College, college for women and a law college were
opened at Trivandrum.

Foot Notes

*The Legislative council or Praja Sabha, Travancore, is the fore runner of Kerala
Legislative Assembly of today. It was during the reign of king,Sri Mulam Thirunal Rama
Varma(1885-1924)that this institution came in to being, precisely in 1888.To start with, it
consisted of 8 members of whom 3 were non-officials and the Sabha had the
Diwan(Prime Minister of the State).It was the first of that sort in the whole of India.

The social pressure of reformation and renaissance movements mounted a

stiff resistance to the vested interests, the feudal interests. The progressive
rulers of the Princely States of Kerala added momentum to the struggle
Sethu Lakshmi Bai who succeeded Sri:Mulam Thirunnal as ‘Regent Queen’
owing to the juniority of prince Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma,reigned
Travancore from 1924 to 1932.Three important measures undertaken for
radical social transformation during this period were,
(a) Formation of village panchayats
(b) Abolition of Devadasi system in temples
(c) Nair Regulation of 1925 substituted ‘Makkathayam’ for
‘Marumakkathayam’ changed the law of inheritance.

Sri Chithira Thirunnal Balarama Varma became king in 1932 and was the
last of the ruling sovereigns of Trvancore (1932to 1949).

The most revolutionary changes happened during this period owing to the
high tide of political struggles (Travancore State Congress, Communist party
struggles).The progressive measures adopted by the ruler can be summarized
as follows:
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(a) Legislative Reforms Act of 1932-1933, As per which a bicameral
legislature developed (Sri: Mulam Assembly or Praja Sabha and Sri:
Chithira state council), the same on the basis of wider franchise, in fact the
first bicameral legislature in Princely India.Sri Mulam Assembly had 72
members (10 were official and 62 non-officials) 43 elected from general
constituencies and 5 by special constituencies like planters, landlords and
businessman. The Diwan was the ex-officio president but the Assembly was
given the right of an elected vice president. The Sri: Chithira council
consisted of 37 members (27 were non officials and 10 officials. The 21 non
officials elected from general public and 6 from special interests groups)

(a) Public service commission (forerunner of Kerala Public Service

Commission) was appointed in 1935 in order to ensure fair representation
of all communities including the so-called untouchables in appointments
to Govt service.

(b)*Temple entry Proclamation in 1936, the most significant and first of

that sort in entire India (Both Princely and British India).Temples were
thrown open to all Hindus.

(c)Travancore university was founded in 1937(forerunner of Kerala

University)
(d) Industrial base of Travancore was created through a number of
industrial units like Travancore Rubber works, Ceramic Factory at
Kundara, Plywood factory at Punalur, Fertilisers and chemicals
Travancore Ltd, Elur etc.
(e) Infrastructural facilities like Highways, Radio station, Airport and
Pallivasal Hydro-electric project were the notable achievements.

Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma was fortunate enough to get the Co-
operation of a man called *C.P Ramaswamy Iyer who was honoured by the
British Raj with the title of ‘Sir’. He was brought to Travancore on official
recommendation of the British at Chennai. A leading barrister (former
member of the British Viceroy’s Executive council) came to Travancore for
the first time in late 1920s to plead for the Christian money lenders’ case at
 (81)
Kottayam. Later he was appointed special advisor to the Regent Queen
Lakshmi Bai in 1931 and then the Diwan (prime minister) of the state of
Travancore from 1935 to 1947.The administrative excellence of the man
found expert expression althroughout the 1930s and early 1940s.He was
never tolerant to political unrest, highly supportive of the feudal system and
the British Raj, inspite of all the administrative measures to make the state
modern.

Foot Notes
*C.P Ramaswamy Iyer (12th November 1879 to 26th Sep 1966) was a famous lawyer
of South India, a strong leitenant of Mrs.: Annie Beasant in her Home Rule
Movement. Later drifted away from Indian National freedom struggle sided and
supported the British Raj, become a nominated member of the Viceroy’s Executive
Council. It is the British who proposed him for the post of ‘Special Advisor’ to the
Regent Queen on matters of general administration. The special advisor became the
all powerful Diwan as the king Chithira Thirunnal Balarama Varma was a teenager,
who preferred to remain under the influence of the Tamilian Diwan

In 1947 July, owing to the social-political upheavals ever since mid 1930s,Iyer was
attacked, attempt on his life was made at Trivandrum.Escaped death,Iyer resigned,
relinquished all the vast powers that he enjoyed ever since 1933,left Travancore.He
was in the process of making an independent Travancore.

Plastic surgery in the U.S and later vice Chancellor of Benaras Hindu university and
Anna Malai University. Famous educationist, visiting Professor to Harvard
University, passed away in late 1960s.
*Temple entry proclamation in Travancore (1936), in Kochi (1947) in Malabar (1947)
through Madras temple entry Act. (Sachivothama Sir, chetpat Pattabhirama Ramaswami
Iyer passed away the London.
The initiative to sever connection with Indian union was thwarted and he
fled away in August 1947.Kerala society remained in the dutches of feudal
mental complex even after the royal family descended and the British left.
The bureaucracy more or less remained dominated by the upper caste
Hindus. It took decades of political struggle that almost eradicated *casteism
from the social fabric. Feudal economy was replaced long back but the
cultural realm remained feudal.

Foot Notes
*I remember my Grand Parents shouting at a 8 year old Sen. Joseph who dared to visit an
old pulaya lady in the neighbourhood and had tea from her. This was around
1981.Pulayas, Prayas, Kuravas and Ezhavas were treated like stray dogs. I very well
recall a 78 year old Pulaya slapped on both cheeks by a 19 year old upper caste boy for
remaining absent on the day of harvest, in our village. It was in 1984.
 (82)

*Kochi, another Princely state experienced steady positive changes owing to

the superior intelligence of patriots who served as Diwans.Special mention
has to be given to Shri: R.K.Shanmugam Chetti, who was the Diwan from
1935 to 1941.The Kochi High court was opened on June 18th 1938.He
introduced the democratic principle as per which a ministers were made
responsible to the state legislature. The after-effects of Socio-political unrest
influenced all the positive change that happened.

It was during the reign of Rama Varma (Parikshit Thampuran) that Kochi
aceeded to Indian union (July 1st 1949, Kochi formed the new state called
Thiru-Kochi state)

Foot Notes

*The major political organization that worked for socio-political change was Kochi Praja
Mandalam.

Malabar was a part (under direct control of the British) of Madras

presidency. That was on 21st May 1800.The Kottayam royal family was
completed neutralized and the British directly took over at the thick of the
Pazhassi revolt.Kerala Varma Pazhassi Raja was put on retreat and was
eliminated by 1805. (Unlike Travancore and Kochi, Malabar remained a
British Indian territory until August 1947 i.e, for a period of 147 years).A
principal collector aided by nine sub collectors led the administration of
British Malabar. The democratic and economic growth that happened in the
other two Kerala regions did not materialize in Mlabar,as the British ruled
the region with maximum support for the feudal landlords feudal mental
complex and through the same squeezed out the maximum of the
riches(spices and taxes)The British introduced organized plantations in
Malabar called ‘Estates’ .

A spice plantation was established at Anjarakandi by English East India

Company in 1797 and the crops like coffee,cinnamon,pepper etc were
cultivated on experimental basis.(coffee and tea were innovated by the
British in agrarian Kerala).

The work of Basel Evangelical Mission and Brennen ever since the second
half of 19th century did influence the culture and mind of the masses. The
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educational activities introduced further grew in to Victoria College at
Palakkad, Zamorin, college (Guruvayoorappan College) at Kozhikode,
Malabar Christian College at kallayi, in 20th century. This western education
greatly influenced the young and a strong current of socio-political
consciousness followed. Administratively divided in to 5 municipalities
(Kozhikode, Thalassery, Kannur, Palakkad and Fort Kochi), the British
exercised tremendous political control through centralizing power at
Thalassery.

The social interest in response to acute feudal relations errupted as riots in

Ernad and Valluvanad thaluks (22 riots happened during 1836-1856).The
majority of the tenants and toilers were Muslims and the land was largely
owned by upper caste Hindus. The riots happened owing to skirmish
between the landlords and the tenants. The British called it *’Mappila riots’
out of religious intolerance and recommended a policy of repression. They
never bothered to arrive at the root cause as the landlordism followed, was
of fullest support from them. A special armed force called ‘Malabar special
police’ was organized in 1854 but the riots continued on a larger scale even
amounted to the murder of the British magistrate,H.V Connolly on his own
residence at kozhikode.Agrarian depression and poverty born out of feudal
relations in society, which was acknowledged and the British introduced the
‘Malabar Compensation for tenants’ as a law in 1900.It was correct that the
earlier British official policy was of considering the Hindu landlord, the real
owner of land and the Muslims having no right to own or stay indefinitely
on land holdings. The system of eviction (arbitrary eviction) pursued by the
‘Janmis’was controlled or regulated ever since but failed owing to the
powerful presence of feudal economy and mental framework.

Foot Notes

*The mentioned 22 riots during 1836-1856 followed by the major Malabar riot of 1921
were in fact the beginning of the end of Janmi-Kudiyan system in Kerala.The invasion of
Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan from the 7th decade of 18th century A.D paved the background
for this historic event. The Mysore hegemony of Malabar and parts of Kochi as well as
Travancore for a period of 2 decades shattered the feudal economy and the feudal social
relations. The Muslim governance had no respect for the landlords, but did a lot to uplift
the low castes (Mappila, Pulayas, Kuravas, and Parays, the chandalas, the Christian
converts and others.)
The pride and omnipotence of the Nair Janmis was disturbed for the first time in history.
The social reformist movements like Iyyankali’s ‘Putherikandam Strike’ of 1912,
Guruvayoor Satyagraha in 1931, Vaikom Satyagraha in 1924, Malayali memorial of 1891
 (84)
, Ezhava Memorial of 1896 and 1900, Paliyath Satyagraha in 1948, ‘Panthi Bhojanam’ of
Sree Narayana Guru, also ‘Misra Vivaham’ of the same etc ushered in an era of strong
anti-feudal feelings in Malayali society in 20th century. Feudal economy and relations
collapsed in mid 20th century after a period of 11-12 centuries.

British Malabar witnessed the most powerful political movements that led to
achievement of independence in 1947.The congress Home Rule League and
the Khilafat activities boosted the socio-political unrest. The Non-
copperation movement of 1921 was a success in Malabar as the Muslim
leadership owing to the khilafat movement supported the same. The
Britishers tried to evoke religious rift and with the support of the Hindu
‘Janmis’ tried to harass the common masses. The tolerance and non-violence
turned just the opposite, the influential Muslim religious leaders declared
war on British rule. The Khilafat leadership was also associated with these
movements. The mappilas attacked police stations and looted Govt
treasuries. British authority was eliminated at Thrisur, Manjeri, and
Perithalmanna.The congress leadership tried to ease the situation but failed
as it was the violent outbreak of a century old agrarian (Janmi-Kudiyan)
conflict. The Hindu landlords were also attacked and a parallel Govt was
established. The Malabar rebellion of 1921 shows how severe was the social
unrest in Kerala owing to the rotten feudal relations. The army intervened
and the rebels were put down. As many as 10,000 killed and as per records,
‘Wagon tragedy’ took the toll of 61 out of 90 mappila rebels captured
prisoners, much against all civilized rules of modern warfare. The Malabar
uprising of 1921 also added fuel to fire in eliminating British rule as well as
feudal social relations in this part of India.
The rise of Muslim League and the communist party of India in Malabar
were the other political ramifications following the 1921 event. Malabar
remained a part of British Presidency of Madras until 1947 and thereafter
was part of Madras state. It was on November 1st 1956 that Malabar was
added on to Travancore-Kochi state to form the new state of Kerala.
Kerala experienced a wide variety of reformation and renaissance
movements since mid 19th century. It was in January 1891 that as part of
agitation for Govt jobs, the ‘Malayali Memorial’, a mass petition was signed
by 10,028 educated persons belonging to all castes and creeds. It was to
ensure a fair quota of Govt appointments (protest against non-Travancoreans
entering state service).The brain behind this ‘Memorial’ was
G.Parameswaran Pillai, and was submitted to the king.
 (85)
‘Malayali Memorial’ was followed by ‘Ezhava Memorial’ on September 3rd
1896,signed by 13,176 members of the Ezhava community under the under
the leadership of Dr.Palpu (a leading organizer of S.N.D.P).The memorial
was a pressure to confer the same rights and privileges which were enjoyed
by those Ezhavas converted to Christianity. A second ‘Ezhava Memorial’
was made and submitted to the then British Viceroy at Trivandrum in
1900.The white man and the Maharaja rejected these petitions, though it
paved the path to genuine socio-political struggles in Kerala.

‘Nivarthana Prakshobham’ was a protest movement against the

constitutional bicameral legislature introduced in 1932-33.The
Ezhavas,Muslims and a section of the Christian community formed an
organization called ‘Samyuktha Rashtriya Samithi’ and exherted the voters
from voting in the elections. These communities though the majority under
the constitutional reforms would get only a lesser number of seats than what
entitled, as Nairs being the property owners and tax-payers would get more
non-official seats. The ‘Nivarthana’ movement gained popularity and its
leaders were N.V.Joseph, T.M. Varghese and C.Kesavan.Due to the pressure
thus created, more seats were allotted for low castes through a Govt
announcements in August 1936 and in the elections held in April-May 1937,
the ‘Samyuktha Rashtriya Samithi’ came out successful from a large number
of constituencies T.M.Varghese was elected deputy president of Sri; Mulam
Praja Sabha or Assembly. Later through machinations the Diwan, Sir:
C.P.Ramaswami Iyer (the president) removed him from office.

It was in 1938 that the ‘Samyuktha Rashtriya Samithi’ (Joint Political

Congress) transformed in to ‘Travancore state Congress’ with Sri: Pattom
Tahnu Pillai as president and T.M.Varghese, C.Kesavan, the prominent
organizers. It initiated the ‘Uttaravaditva Prakshobham’(movement for
Responsible Govt),by submitting a mass petition to the Maharaja,
demanding the dismissal of the Diwan.The radicals within the ‘Travancore
State Congress’ who stood up comprising for the said petition later got split
with the official leadership supported by Gandhiji formed the communist
party led by E.M.S Namboodiripad and P.Krishna Pillai in 1939.

The sudden measures on behalf of the Diwan soon after the Second World
War, to constitute a ‘permanent executive’ on top of the bicameral state
legislature and the announcement of a proposal for an ‘American Model’
constitution, infuriated the masses. This was in January 1946 and the most
 (86)
powerful peoples’ organization ‘the Travancore State Congress’ raised the
slogan, ‘American Model Arabi Kadalil’ on paralled with this, the
communist party organized a guerilla struggle in their strongholds in
Alappuzha .In October,1946 the workers of Punnapra-Vayalar region in
Alappuzha district violently clashed with the police and the Army. Martial
law was declared in Alappuzha and Cherthala on October 25th 1946.The
Diwan Sir: C.P.Ramaswami Iyer himself assumed total control of the entire
police and Army in the area. It was on October 26th and 27th,1946 that mass
firings took place leaving a thousand people killed at Punapra and
Vayalar.This massacre had wide social repurcussions althroughout
Kerala.The Diwan became a criminal, a villain,inspite of all his
contributions and superior administrative acumen.’Uthravaditva
Prakshobham’ got stiffened .The Indian independence Act(passed in July
1947)announced the halt of paramountcy of the British crown over the
Princely states from the date of withdrawal of British power from India.

Foot Notes

*K.C.S Mani,a young R.S.P volunteer hailing from Ambalappuzha tried to kill the
Diwan. The ‘Urumi’ used was provided by Kumbalathu Shanku Pillai, a prominent Nair
community leader of Kollam.The action was done at a time in night when electric lights
failed. The organized power failure was masterminded by none other than the Maharaja’s
own brother (the present Maharaja) Uthram Thirunal Marthanda Varma.There was a
strong group of royal elements against the Diwan and for integration with the Indian
union.
It was an individual effort supported by various powerful individuals belonging to
different organizations. The act had maximum popular support. Soon it earned befitting
results.

Diwan declared on June 11th, 1947 that Travancore would be an independent

state with effect from the date on which the British withdraw. The masses
agitated and there were police atrocities. The master mind of the Diwan was
sharp enough to constitute the ‘irremovable executive’ and depute an
ambassador each to Hyderabad, Pakistan and London. He preferred a
distance with the national political leadership. It was on July 25th 1947(i.e,
the 44th day of the declaration) that an attempt was made on the life of the
*invincible Diwan at Swathi music Academy at Trivandrum.He escaped
with minor injuries. A frightened Diwan realizing that the soil under his very
feet had shacken took a wise decision to relinquish all powers and resign. He
resigned on 19th August 1947 and left the state of Travancore soon. (After 16
 (87)
years).His official residence called ‘Bhakthi Vilasom’ later on became the
office of All India Radio at Trivandrum.

*Maharaja,Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma took the wisest decision to

intimate the British Viceroy, Mountbatten and the Acting prime
minister,Nehru,the intention of ‘acceptance of the Instrument of Accession’
and include Travancore in Indian union. This was in total contradiction to an
earlier decision for ‘Free Travancore’.All these political activities had
sociological impact in Kerala .The state bureaucracy more or less sided with
the British rule and the royal systems in Kochi as well as in Travancore.The
conservative sections remained highly indifferent to the events of 1947 and
the growth of leftist movements. The feudal economy almost disappeared in
mid 1930s, but the feudal social process and relations continued long after
the British left, the kings capitulated, the Janmi-Kudiyan system ended. The
Govt machinery was ruled by the castiest tendencies long after the Malayali-
Ezhava memorials, it was prevalent among the middle class. The Govt of
India scheduled several of the so-called low castes and tribes as per the
protection guaranteed by the constitution of the country. The system of
reservation in educational institutions, jobs in both public and private sectors
did represent the depressed sections in high positions.Govt departments ever
since late 1950s started enlisting candidates hailing from the S.C/S.Ts as
permanent staff.

Foot Notes

*The decision of Maharaja:Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma of Travancore to aceede to

Indian Union in August 1947 was in line with or in strict continuation to the efforts of
‘Aikya Kerala Movement’ ever since mid 1920s.The independence from the British and
the formation of all Malayalam-speaking areas as Kerala,then integration with free India,
were the objectives. The ‘State peoples conference’ of April 1928 at Ernakulam followed
by the ‘Payyanur Political Conference’ in May 1928 with Jawaharlal Nehru in chair,
requested Indian national congress for strong support.

It was in early forties that the movement gained momentum under the progressive
Maharaja of Kochi,Shri: Kerala Varma.Indeed he is the only Maharaja who freely and
bravely introduced the idea of capitulation of all royal status and rights and initiated steps
for a united Kerala.He made it officially historical by sending a message to the Kochi
state legislative council on July 29th 1946.Later when Travancore-Kochi State was born
on July 1st 1949,the Kochi Maharaja abandoned all royal symbols Travancore.Maharaja
became the ‘Raja Pramukh’ and Trivandrum the capital.
 (88)
High court was located in Kochi.The states Re-organization Act of 1956 urged the
formation of Kerala with Malabar added on to Travancore-Kochi excluding Kanyakumari
District on November 1st 1956.

Inspite of all these, the feudal mental complex lingered in Malayali society.
The Gulf boom of 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s did not do justice; instead it
made the Kerala society open to acute consumerism, with a wide variety of
goods and services. The world-famous Lu Lu chain reached Edappally in
Kochi (March 2013) giving an impetus to the said consumption patterns.

Leftist as well as literacy movements did change the mind-set from late
1970s and it ushered in a full decade of progressive thought and life
styles.Malayali mind was almost liberated with the dawn of the 21st century,
but for the activities of Aryanised communal organizations on one side and
de-politicalisation of campus on other side, brought back the ‘complex’ once
again. The progressive youth who were shy to give caste name either in
writing or by speech, in 1980s or even in 1990s is no longer available.

Today we find young, educated boys and girls so keen in making friendship
with not merely rich peers but with rich high caste peers. Love affairs are
finalized on the basis of bank balance, debit cum credit cards and caste
identity.

In the age of information revolution, with any information at one’s finger

tip, the issue of basic utilities of modern life monopolized by giant
corporates do not bring forth unity of the victims. This was not the case
when electricity was not a public utility in mid 1930s,when in Kochi,there
was a popular movement called, ‘Electricity Agitation’ precisely in 1936,as
per which a protest was organized against the decision of Kochi Govt under
Diwan,Sir: R.K.Shanmugam Chetti to entrust distribution of electric power
in Kochi town to a private company. People of all castes and communities
came on a platform and there was a popular movement. What an irony, 2013
or 1936, which one is relatively progressive. Mass demands for social
security measures are aired almost everyday for the past 10 years, but the
unity of commoners is a myth without which the demands cannot be
achieved. The people are divided even on such issues as per communal,
casteist and organizational interests.
 (89)
The Indian freedom movement of 1930s and 1940s united the multitudes of
Kerala,almost all of the ordinary masses forged unity to demand the end of
landlordism, monarchy and the British paramountsy,inspite of the lack of
any electronic media, publicity stunts etc.Lakhs assembled to hear the
national leaders speak whenever they visited this part of India, but today we
have no time to listen even for a minute what is said about the plight of the
Adivasis,the exploited dalits,the marginalized and the exploited. The middle
class that evolved in Malayali society ever since late 1960s owing to the job
avenues in Europe, U.S and the Middle East, are the least informed or
bothered of social issues. There are hundreds of T.V channels and journals,
but the much required socio-political-cultural education is terribly lacking.
The socio-political unrest due to injustice meted out is lacking, caste and
color prejudices are being re-instated. Technology has reached the towering
heights of the sky, but mind is still in the medieval times.

A pulaya character is seldom picturised in Malayalam movies as a lead

role no pulaya, Kaurava or a Paraya or an adivasi is anywhere among the
stars much trumpeted. A feature film called ‘Papilo Budha’ was not a subject
of popular appreciation while the storyline on a ‘Nair’ or a so-called
‘Unnithan’ or ‘Thampi’ taking revenge on opponents is a box office hit. The
‘New Generation Cinema’ is having no subject matter on this sociological
retreat. An average malayali seldom appreciates a caste-based discussion, a
debate on reality. He appears to have overcome that level, but a typical
hypocrit, ofcourse. Psychology still lingers, the ‘bhootham’of feudalism is
still guiding his thoughts.
 (90) CHAPTER -08

MASTERS AND PIONEERS IN INDIAN CINEMA

Indian cinema was born at Mumbai in 1912, i.e, in the 23rd year of world
cinema. The first feature film was screened in 1913,the first talkie released
in 1931,the first feature film in Eastman color released in 1957,the first
cinema scope film in early 1970s the first 3D film in 1984,the first Oscar for
an Indian in 2009,celebrating 100 years of Indian cinema in 2013.

Milestones set out of the sweat of many a pioneers and masters. The life
struggle of great individuals starting with Ram Chandra Gopal(Dada Saheb
Torne),Dada Saheb Phalke,Ardeshir Irani,Satyajith Ray,Nataraja
Mudaliar,J.C.Daniel,Jose Katookaran,Samikannu Vincent,A.Sundharam
Pillai,P.Bhaskaran,Ramu Kariat and others.

Let me brief on Malayalam, Tamil and Hindustani films (life struggle of

related personalities).Joseph Chelaiah Daniel pioneered cinema in Kerala
during late 1920s.His follower, Sundhar Raj, filmed the best historical novel
of C.V.Raman Pillai, in early 1930s.According to the ex-Director of Pune,
N.F.A.I, this particular movie on the maker of modern Travancore (King
Marthanda Varma) is a classic form of art. Both these men submitted their
entire riches and even mortgaged their very subsistence for an experiment,
for an innovation. Individually they suffered but the medium thrived, found
expression in late 1930s through a full-fledged talkie called ‘Balan’ a
hijacked cine project originally called ‘Vidhiyum Mrs: Nairum’ of a man
called ‘A Sundharam Pillai’, another scape goat. All credit of making the
first Malayalam talkie was bestowed on T.R.Sundharam; the Salem based
top most businessman of South India. He was called ‘Father of Malayalam
cinema’ for decades, until 1992.

Malayalam cinema grew, gaining energy from the toil of masters like
S.Nottani(Mumbai man who directed Balan),P.Subramaniam,owner of
Merry land film studio,T.E Vasudevan,Alleppey Vincent (Co-founder of
Ajantha Studio and the actor who played Villain in the first
talkie),T.V.Thomas(Communist leader who infact started Udaya
pictures),the Shenoy Brothers of Ernakulam,and several others. In fact
Malayalam cinema is today internationally famous and is an industry as such
due to the painful struggles of the pioneer (J.C.Daniel) to that of the present-
 (91)
day genuine artists and art makers(Ramu
Kariattu,P.Bhaskaran,K.G.George,John Abraham,Sethu Madhavan,Krishnan
Nair,Vincent,P.N.Menon,P.A Bekker,T.E Vasudevan,Adoor
Gopalakrishnan,Padmarajan,Bharathan,Aravindan, Vayalar Rama
Varma,Mehaboob,Kozhikodu Abdul Khader,Devarajan,O.N.V
Kuruppu,Ravindran,Sebastian Kunju Kunju Bhagavathar,Miss
Kumari,Sathyan,Sukumari,Aranmula Ponnamma and the like)

The earlier masters belonging to the period immediately following

J.C.Daniel is that of 1930s to late 1950s. The secondary stage is between
early 1960s extending up to late 1980s and the most modern stage is from
early 1990s and still continuing in to the new generation stage.

*A Sundharam Pillai made a brave effort to film a story called ‘Vidhiyum

Mrs: Nairum’.He invested all his savings earned from his shipping company
career in this film project. He couldn’t complete the same, sold the rights to
a Salem Company called ‘Modern Theaters’ owned by T.R Sundharam.The
first Malayalam talkie was released in early 1938, the Salem man was
advertised as the ‘father of Malayalam Cinema’, infact the so-called father
of a child born ten years back to somebody else.Sundharan Pillai was
unheard ever after 1938.This is the irony of fate. The second Malayalam
talkie,’Jnanambika’released in 1940 directed by the same,S.Nottani,who
directed the first talkie.Nottani was a nobody in the next two years, an
abandoned man who returned to Mumbai(A high ranking technician of
Bombay talkies during early 1930s,somehow managed to enter garments
business and survived).

Foot Notes

*A Sundharam Pillai invested money made the screenplay and even selected the cast and
crew, but he couldn’t do much as his resources got exhausted. He advertised in ‘The
Hindu’ the need for a sponsor to complete his project T.R.Sundharam of Salem who had
made two Tamil talkies ever since 1936 responded favourably.

The project was hijacked; Sundharam Pilali was reduced to a paid director first and then
replaced for the Mumbai man, S.Nottani

‘Balan’ had a story similar to ‘Vigatha Kumaran’.Through the said film,Alleppey

Vincent became the first ‘Speaking person’ of Malayalam cinema.K.K.Aroor the first
‘speaking hero’ and M.K.Kamalam the first ‘Speaking herione’,the first recorded sound
was, ‘ Hello mister’ in the voice of Alleppey Vincent.
 (92)

‘Prahlada’, the third talkie was a project financial by the Travancore royal
family, the man behind the screen was none other than the then Diwan, Sir:
C.P.Ramaswami Iyer.Though it had a dummy producer in P.Subramanian, a
rich Govt contactor of Trivandrum (later director-producer-studio owner, a
towering personality of Malayalam cinema).

It was a state-level film project, and so there was no paucity of funds,

released in 1941.There was no film-making between 1941 and 1947 due to
the rigours of second world war ‘Nirmala’ was released in 1948,directed by
a non-malayali,V.V.Rao.
A German film person, suspected of being a spy, namely
felix.J.Beyse,befriended by Alleppey Vincent, the noted actor and
influenced by T.V.Thomas(the famous communist party leader) who had
founded a film production company called, ‘Udaya Pictures’ at
Alappuzha,volunted to direct the first film of ‘Udaya Pictures’ and it was
released in 1949 (Vellinakshathram) which was the debut film of
Miss:Kumari(the early popular heroine of Malayalam cinema).Alleppey
Vincent as well as his brother, Sebastian Kunju Kunju Bhagavathar played
lead roles in it.

‘The Travancore National Pictures’ was the pioneering effort of J.C.Daniel

to make a purely malayali motion picture. This was way back in 1928, but
still Malayalam movies were shot in Tamilian studios. It was
‘Vellinakshathram’ that was purely shot in a Keralite film studio ever after
‘Vigatha Kumaran’ ,Udaya Pictures’ was the concept of T.V.Thomas,who
wished to arrange for the making of films that promote the national
movements. He was supported by his college-mate, Alleppey Vincent, who
enlisted the co-operation of the German, Mr Felix.

‘Vellinakshathram’was followed by ‘Nalla Thanka’, ‘Sthree’,

‘Sasidharan’,’Prasanna’, ‘Chandrika’,’Chechi’ released in 1950.Thikkurissi
Sukumaran Nair, the first superstar of Malayalam cinema got entry in to film
world through ‘Sthree’ in which he starred as well as wrote story and
dialogue.

The decade of 1950s saw the release of 6 movies on an average every year.
A box office hit (first box office hit) was made in 1951 called, ‘Jeevitha
 (93)
Nauka’ with Thikkurissi, Sebastian Kunju Kunju Bhagavathar, Kunju
Kuttan Bhagavathar, Pankaja Valli and others.

Two special path breakers of this period were, ‘Neela Kuyil’ of P.Bhaskaran
and Ramu Karyat, ‘News Paper Boy’ of P.Ramdas.The former brought
cinema outdoor with many experiments of the camera man called A. Vincent
and the Art Director called P.N.Menon.A primitive Crane shot was utilized
in this movie(first crane shot).The songs were all hits. It was released in
1954.The latter was debut film of the youngest film director in Malayalam,
P.Ramdas.It was an experiment of a group of students and youth. Almost the
entire crew and cast were newcomers. It was a failure on release in 1956.But
a film known as the first realistic movie in Malayalam, ‘Newspaper Boy’
attained fame and in a matter of 20 years from 1956, the film was accepted
as a classic by the Information and Broadcasting ministry. In due course
P.Ramdas collapsed financially and had a stroke. Malayalam cinema
attained prominence in national panorama in 1966, when ‘Chemmeen’ a
classic movie got the president of India’s gold medal. This was a creation of
Rishikesh a group of genius(Ramu Karyat,Mukherjee,Sahil Chaudhary and
others).A masterpiece in all respect, the film attained tremendous
success.V.V.Babu,a young rich yet progressive man of Cherthala produced
the same, but he failed miserably in early 1980s as he was the sponsor of
more than three earlier films of Bharathan(Lorry,Aaravam and Thakara).It
was in 1972,that Adoor Gopalakrishnan came up with his debut feature film
called, ‘Swayamvaram’,for the second time. The Kerala Govt accepted
cinema as an industry and so institutions were organized to support the same
from early 1970s (Kerala State Film awards instituted ever since
1973).Malayalam cinema attained a co-equal status with Bengla Cinema in
terms of artistic content and craftwise. ‘Chidambaram’, ‘My dear
Kuttichathan’ were all the boost of 1980s.Thanks to the masters, who never
lived to see the fruit of their hard labour.They saw dreams, risked their
career and life, created wonders and passed away. Indeed they created
history and left the writing of the same to their posterity.
Tamil cinema owes its orgin to Nataraja Mudaliar a car dealer, who
pioneered the first film,’Keechaka Vadham’ in 1918.He was the first film
studio owner as well. Following a fire at the same which killed his son,
Nataraja Mudaliar stopped film-making in 1923.
Samikannu Vincent, an employee of Southern Railways experimented with
tent-cinema as well as touring cinema in Tamilnadu, way back in the early
decade of 20th century. Later on he owned a big chain of cinema halls, all
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well –stationed ones. It was in late 1930s that owing to ill health he handed
over his big business to his son. He is the pioneer film exhibitor in entire
south. José Kattukaran is his contemporary and counterpart in Kerala.

Meiyappa Chettiyar(A.V.Meiyappan)was active in both Tamil and telugu

cinema right from 1931,when the first talkie in Tamil was made by Chettiar
(His production Company was Saraswathi sound Productions).A
gramophone record manufacturer and marketer,A.V.Meiyappan made ‘Alli
Arjuna’,the first Tamil talkie. It was in 1945 that A.V.M studio founded,
which is still active.Vahini studio, Gemini studio and Revathi Studio created
the base for not only Tamil but Malayalam cinema in its early decades of
growth, Telugu as well as Kannada cinema also.

P.U.Chinnappa, T.R Mahalingam, M.R.Thyagaraja Bhagavathar were the

earliest stars of Tamil cinema, out of which Thyagaraja Bhagavathar is
known to be the first block buster mega star.

Chinnappa who was a shooting star in 1940s died young at the age of 36.

T.R .Mahalingam and his sister T.R.Rajakumari were the first successful
siblings in Tamil cinema.Tamil, Kannada and Telugu films flourished even
before the attainment of independence, the cinema industry of South was a
big domain in 1940s onwards. It was in the south that the first legislation on
entertainment tax effected and that was in 1927 by Madras Legislative
assembly as per which cinema was brought under the category of
commercial activity. Thanks to Nataraja Mudaliar and Samikannu Vincent.

Dadasaheb Torne (Ram Chandra Gopal) in fact made the first Indian cinema
in 1912.He cinematographed a play called ‘Pundalik’ with the aid of British
technicians. Owing to the foreign hand in the recording, the initiative was
not recognized as India; also that it was just a recording of a theatrical play.

A successful printing press person, a photographer who was an assistant to

Raja Ravi Varma,Dhundiraj Govind Phalke popularly known as Dadasaheb
Phalke (30th April 1870-16th February 1944) known as Father of Indian
Cinema made his debut film called,’ Raja Harischandra’ in 1913.He made
95 movies,26 short films in a period of 24 years(1913 to 1937).The advent
of sound technology made him obsolete as a technician and was abandoned
in late 1930s .His last film is ‘Gangavataran’ released in 1937.
 (95)
Govt of India instituted the ‘Dadasaheb Phalke award’ in 1967 as part of his
centenary observance, for life-time contributions to cinema. It is the highest
award in Indian Cinema.

Dwarakadas Narayandas Sambath (1885-1958) is known as the Father of

Mumbai Films. His, ‘Kohinoor Film Company’ made as many as a hundred
films.
He used to propagate morality, national spirit and allegiance to God through
his films. The film called ‘Bhaktha Vidur’ was a proxy to spread Gandhiji’s
message under the nose of British Raj.

The third name to reckon with, a master of Hindi cinema is Ardeshir.M.Irani

(1886-1969).Imbibed inspiration from the first talkie in the world ‘Jazz
Singer’ released in 1927, Irani set fourth in an adventurous endeavour to
make the first Indian talkie.
‘Alam Arah’ was released in 1931 sounding the birth of the sound era in
India. He was also a leading cinema hall owner of Mumbai.

V.Shantharam who made the first Indian feature film to attain international
recognition at Venice in 1937(Tukaram was the film).He made films of
artistic clarity and accommodated enough space for entertainment. There is a
period called, ‘Shantharam era’ with films like ‘Amar Jyothi’, ‘Sthree’,
‘Duniya na mane’, ‘Padosi’, Dr: Kotnis Ki Kahani’with the screen play of
K.A.Abbas.

*Himanshu Rai and Devika Rani(first Indian couple film makers)

established the ‘Bombay Talkies’ in 1933.The film challenging casteist
untouchability and unapproachability called ‘Achyuth Kanya’ was made
with the late great actor,Ashok Kumar and Devika Rani playing lead
roles.Kismath was the Indian film with a novel idea of a pick pocket to be
the hero.Ashok Kumar became the first male superstar in Hindi cinema, as
Mumbai became the main hub of production companies and studios,
Bombay talkies the leading production company.

Foot Notes

*Himanshu Rai studied Law from Kolkata University, a product of Shanthi Nikethan; he
was more interested in drama, music and movies of the west. He made a movie in
collaboration with Munich-based,’Emelka Films’. Together they featured in path breaker
 (96)
movie, ‘Karma’ with the first ever lip lock kiss between a couple in Indian cinema,
Himanshu Rai and Devika Rani .This was followed by short-term association with
European film companies in fact the first internationalized Indian film couple. The
Munich movie was on Budha, called ‘Light of Asia’ Devika Rani, a descendant of
Rabindranath Tagore married Himashu in London during early 1930s.

Hindi cinema grew through R.K Studios, New Theatre and others in the
1940s,1950s, and so on.*Raj Kapoor succeeded Shuab Modi and Prithviraj
Kapoor.Romantic heroes sprang up with Dev Anand and Dileep
Kumar.Nargees succeeded Zubaida,Devika Rani and Kannen Devi.Populism
caught hold of the same with ‘Sholay’ coming up in 1975, ‘Deewar’ in 1977
and ‘Qurbani’ in 1980.Bengla,Punjabi,Odissi films loomed large Satyajith
Ray,Bimal Roy and Rithick Khatak were Bengal’s contributions .Today the
life struggles of all those masters are purposefully forgotten.
What an irony of fate!
What a sense of history!

Foot Notes

*Raj Kapoor actually shot up in fame through the release of ‘Aag’ in 1948.Prithviraj
Kapoor,his father had been active with IPTA(Indian Peoples Theatrical Arts) a leftist Art
movement and was a leading theatre person in 1930s,acted in the first talkie thereafter
became established in Hindi Films. He passed away in 1973, got Dadasaheb Phalke
award in 1972.

Shoab Modi was a singer as well an actor contemporary of Prithviraj.His film career
ended in late 1950s.

Gurudutt and Balraj Sahni, contemporaries of Raj Kapoor, made some of the best artistic
movies.Gurudutt made as well as acted in the classic called ‘Pyaasa’ and Balraj Sahni in
‘Do Bhiga Zameen’.
 (97) CHAPTER-9

ART, CULTURE AND MAN IN KERALA

Kerala had a composite culture based on Dravidian civilization starting in

B.C period progressing throughout the early and late Snagam age, ending up
in 8th and 9th century A.D.The absence of caste system was one of the
fundamentals of the social process.

Aryanisation ever since 08th or 09th century did away with the democratic
principles in society made women slaves, created castes and rifts in
society.Budhism and Jainism were overthrown philosophy-wise and
institution wise. The social relations drastically changed. Art was chained;
hence culture deterorated.Man became more or less animal, though civilized.
The landlord(Janmi) system innovated in Kerala society through the Aryan
statecraft, grew strong during the period between 10th and 16th centuries of
A.D.The royal houses were dependent on the ‘Janmis’ or ‘Naduvazhis’ who
controlled the revenue of the state.

The European rulers starting with the Portuguese, Dutch, French and finally
the English, never bothered to transform the decadent feudal social fabric.
Renaissance and Reformation in Europe prompted geographical discoveries
leading to colonization in Asia, Africa and Latin America, which added
fodder to European industrial machinery modern lifestyles and philosophies
were restricted from entering the colonies.

The slogan was,’ Democracy at home and imperialism abroad’. English or

Western education with all the intricacies of modern science and philosophy
of life was introduced in early 19th century. This was preceded by two
specific incidents in the second half of 18th century.Kerala experienced a
major foreign invasion in 1756-57 and then a period of occupation starting
in 1763 and ending only in 1770.This is called the Mysorean interlude in
history. Muslim rulers of Mysore (Hyder Ali followed by Tipu Sulatan)
attacked and occupied the northern parts right up to Travancore in the South.
The Janmis were dismissed and the low castes liberated. The Mysore
administration of revenue was done through state officials and the land
tenure was based on the produce of the land. Taxation was done on actual
produce; tenants achieved dignity first time ever since the Aryan age. Nairs
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and ‘Naduvazhis’ who opposed the Mysore invasion ran away, leaving the
toilers free.

The English east India Company with the support of Keralite royal elements
eliminated this Mysore influence and re-established the old social order by
the close of the 18th century. The British introduced indeed more cruel and
brutal measures, elevating feudal social relations and feudal culture. Man
was reduced to a donkey .A minority of tax collectors and the royal elements
lived a civilized life under British hegemony. The untouchables were
debarred from all social process, not even allowed to use the public roads
and women to cover their breast.

Folklore evolved through centuries, cultivated and nurtured by the toilers of

soil. It is the middle class among the upper castes that promoted different
forms of so-called civilized art. The ‘attam’, ’Koothu’etc developed
centering round the temples. The performing arts had direct impact on the
Psyche of the masses. Forklore was more powerful in the said process.

Art is the expression of beauty; it can be vocal, visual or performing. It

cultivates culture, which is a mental faculty (values,ethics,emotions,feelings
etc).Man is distinct from animal due to culture .Art as well as philosophy
maketh man, the former nurtures mind and the latter nurtures intellect.

As mentioned earlier, ever since 8th and 9th century A.D, the poor and
downtrodden got a break from feudal relations during the Mysorean
interlude.

The ‘Naduvazhis’ were re-instated by the British in their own colonial

interests. The rise of Marthanda Varma as the ruler of Venad,expension of
Venad to further north of Kerala,strong centralized system of administration
on the basis of suppression of the Janmi-Naduvazhi system of land tenure.
The period from 1729 to 1798 A.D (long 69 years) characterized the rise of
art and culture as well, with Kunjan Nambiar and Ramapurathu Warrier at
the helm of affairs. Temple arts like ‘koothu’, ‘Attam’, ‘Pathakam’,
‘Kathakali’ and ‘Thullal’ received all encouragement.Marthanda Varma
(1729 to 1758) and his worthy son, Dharma Raja or Karthika Thirunal Rama
Varma (1758 to 1798) created glory for most parts of kerala.Dharma Raja
even composed Kathkali poems and founded the ‘kottaram
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Kalari’ (Tekkan Kalari) to popularize the art form. The well known treatise
on the ‘Natyasasthra’ of ‘Bharathamuni’, known as ‘Balarama Charitham’
was composed by him.
Dharma Raja was succeeded by a weak ruler called Balarama Varma during
whose short reign, the British established their suzerainity over Travancore
and Kochi,on strongly putting down the popular uprisings led by Velu
Thampi Dalawa in Travancore and his friend,Paliathachan in Kochi.The
entire Malabar was under the direct control of the British by 1805,when their
mighty opponent,Kerala Varma Pazhassi Raja fell.Naduvazhi system with
all its decadence was enforced by the British directly in Malabar from 1805
A.D and in Travancore and Kochi (Vassal states)from 1810.Castism had
become supreme once again in Kerala by the fall of 19th century. Swami
Vivekananda who visited Kanyakumari during this period termed Kerala to
be a lunatic asylum, with multitudes of caste regulations, fake beliefs,
wasteful social observance etc.
J.C.Daniel came up in an era of English education (a boon in disguise as a
result of British Raj) and he was lucky to be born in a wealthy Nadar family
of medical persons.Imbibited energy from the atmosphere thus created and
ventured for cinema on Kerala soil, suffered and left the land, a defeated
man.Casteism, gender inequality, above all *feudal mental complex
suppressed him.
Foot Notes
*This lingering feudal mental complex is the major reason for the most inhuman, satanic
torture of women and children, reported by the media almost daily in India.Kerala ranks
first for the same. During the ancient times, this was not reported or pubilicised.Today
due to the tremendous growth of electronic and print media, news is given out in
alarming number.
Women as a whole, of all castes, communities is considered a commodity slave, object
for sexual exploitation.

Rapid industrialization changed the economy of the province in the last

decade of 19th century and the early decades of 20th century. Feudal social
relations withered away owing to reformation movements of 1920s, 1930s
and henceforth. Art (drama, music, cinema etc) of this period accelerated the
fall of feudal society. Culture was enriched and man evolved liberated.
Feudal mental complex lingered in the realm of thought. It almost
disappeared in 1960s and 1970s, and a part of 1980s but the almost dead
snake is back.
Art, Culture and man in Kerala is to take up greater and bigger challenges to
burn this complex once for all.
 (100) CHAPTER-10
CINEMA TO DILEMA

Cinema was born as an expansion of photography in the second last decade

of 19th century .France contributed excelled among many European
innovative pioneers. Cinematograph patented in 1895, revolutionized film
making process.

It is on February 28th 2013 that a detailed, report appeared in ‘Daily

Telegraph’ that Hollywood is to say goodbye to ‘Celluloid’ which has been
used since 1889(35mm celluloid) which has been the principal film
projection technology taking audience from silent movies to talkies.
Celluloid will be replaced with digital projection used first in 2009 for
‘Avatar’. It was reported that by 2013 end in the U.S and by 2014 last in
Western Europe, cinema will be dying off

Digital cinema projection (Digital Cinema) is a method whereby the

traditional film (celluloid) containing the movie will be replaced by an
electronic copy contained on a storage device, a high capacity hard drive and
server.
Cinema has completed 125 years of age, of course a grand old man. It is not
a wonder that it will die, natural for all or everything under sun.Dilema is in
the womb of history, with a series of institutions replacing the older ones,
many to be displaced, new ones to be inducted.

Dilema will be the most powerful medium, art form of 21st and subsequent
centuries. Cinema is to pass in to and go down in History, no doubt by the
fall of the 3rd decade of 21st century.
Three cheers to all the Pioneers
Three cheers to all the masters.
(101)
CONCLUSION

J.C.Daniel experimented cinema in little Kerala way back in 1928.He passed

away in poverty and oblivion in April 1975.An unsung, unheard man was
highlighted by a film journalist from Cherthala starting from 1968 and at last
in 1992, Govt of Kerala acknowledged the glorious services of the man.
Pioneered cinema on Kerala soil in 1928, rewarded in 1992.Irony of fate or
lack of historical knowledge. Masses lack knowledge of past and so again
and again they fall in pit after pit, cheated, ridiculed and insulted.

The remedy is knowledge, knowledge of social process, of art, of culture and

history

BIBLIOGRAPHY

(1) Cinema,Kalyum Jeevithavum by Thottam Rajasekharan

(2) A survey of Kerala History by Prof: A.Sreedhara Menon
(3) Malayala Cinemayile Vanavarum Veenavarum of Chelangattu
Gopalakrishnan
(4) Nashta Nayika of Vinu Abraham
(5) J.C.Danielinte Jeevitha Katha of Chelangattu Gopalakrishnan
(6) Script of the movie, ‘Celluloid’ by Kamal
(7) Textbook of world History,Part-11 Pre-Degree students of Kerala
University, published in 1991
(8) Wikipedia published notes on a variety of cinema related topics.